20 Life Skills That Were Once Sought After But Are No Longer Relevant

As a kid, I could instinctively tell when a song I wanted on my mixtape was about to play on the radio. This was an especially important skill because back then you had to time it just so. I was ready to hit record at the sweet spot to get the maximum amount of songs on record without any of the other nonsense. I would always feel like it was a super achievement and be very proud of my ability. None of my other friends and relatives could time it as well as me. 

#1 Making paper fortune tellers.

Image source: chloeoh24, Kate Ter Haar

#2 I can develop and process photographic film and enlarge prints in a darkroom.

Image source: Glade_Runner, Annushka Ahuja

#3 I can cover a textbook with a brown paper bag.

Image source: sourwaterbug, 娴宇 陈

#4 Remembering phone numbers

Image source: GreatMillionDog, Markus Spiske

#5 I’m a straight burley man and I sew. It’s just something that for whatever reason relaxes me and no one knows how to do it anymore. Hemming and tapering pants, altering dresses, jackets…etc..I oddly enjoy it.

Image source: helio987, Wallace Chuck

#6 Using the Dewey decimal at library

Image source: FunStorm6487, Ivo Rainha

#7 I can write boobs on a calculator

Image source: WatchingTaintDry69, Karolina Grabowska

#8 I can tell time on an analog clock.

Image source: The_Little_Rag_Man, Alan Quirván

#9 I write in cursive; does that count?

Image source: yesohohahahilikeit, Katya Wolf

#10 Record to tape from the radio. Trying to make sure to not get the DJ/presenter talking s**t or an ad

Image source: Gankstajam, Stas Knop

#11 I can refold a map correctly.

Image source: JungleZac, Andrew Neel

#12 The ability to make and count out change for a purchase

Image source: Zapt01, Brad Montgomery

#13 To rewind a tape by spinning on a pencil <3

Image source: SayenneDD, Pixabay

#14 I know how to properly address an envelope. Skills m**********r.

Image source: laschae, cottonbro studio

#15 Texting with 10 key. I still have it all memorized and could pick up a flip phone and send paragraphs if needed.

Image source: tobmom, Neeta Lind

#16 I can win at trivial pursuit (the game) every time. I’m a wealth of useless information.

Image source: xjeanie, Pratyeka

#17 Using your shoulder to hold a telephone up to your ear while doing multiple other things at once. Now, the phones are so damned small I drop them.

Image source: Regular_Sample_5197, Ketut Subiyanto

#18

A few:

* How to drive a manual transmission.
* How to remember phone numbers in my head.
* How to untangle, manually wind and repair cassette tape.
* How to plan a cross country trip using nothing more than a Rand McNally Road Atlas and a highlighter.
* How to program in Basic.
* How many dimes to place on a record needle to prevent skipping.
* How to change my own oil, tire, belts, alternator, starter or transmission.
* On a Cathode Ray Tube TV how to: set vertical and horizontal controls, fine-tune the channel using the ring around the channel k**b and how to fashion a wire coat hanger into a VHF antenna.

Image source: MeGrendel

#19 Crash start a manual car by rolling down a hill in second gear with the ignition on, then popping the clutch – cars were not so reliable back in the day!

Image source: SequinSquirrel, Raymond McClintonel

Edit: Push starting, also known as bump starting, roll starting, clutch starting, popping the clutch or crash starting, according to Wikipedia – we called it crash starting where I’m from, but lots of different names for it!

#20 Two that I didn’t see listed already: Can read a map without using GPS | Can build out a coaxial network for LAN parties

Image source: Lurama, bea & txema & alan