Keystyone/Getty Images
Pennsylvania Station in New York City circa 1915 pictured from the corner of Seventh Avenue.
So a pretty interesting newspaper excerpt has been floating around on social media the past few days. As we inch closer to New Years Eve, it’s almost part of human nature to start feeling a little nostalgic about the year(s) gone past as you prepare to ring in 2016. Thinking about all the goals you’ve accomplished, places you’ve been, people you’ve met, what the future may hold…stuff like that. Reflection is always good for the soul in that way – it allows you to be thankful for the awesome things you have in life.
And that’s what makes this newspaper excerpt so fascinating, which highlights just how different life was in America 100 years ago, in 1915. The excerpt is comprised of 30 head-spinning facts about how people lived last century, and it’s safe to say that I’ll definitely pass on time traveling given every single one of them, please and thank you. Well, except for one; the third point from the bottom is…just an outrageous notion. It’s the only advantage that 1915 had over current day.
9gag.com
Crazy stuff in there, right?
From the extremely short life-expectancy to people washing their hair (on a ridiculously infrequent basis at that) with egg yolk, honestly every bullet point on here makes me so thankful to be living in the 21st century. Except for the fact that in 1915 you could waltz over to the local drugstore whenever you wanted and buy literally any drug under the sun.
Morphine and heroin being sold over the counter with the latter being advocated by pharmacists!? Damn, our medical knowledge has come a long, long way! For the record, I’m counting that as two points, hence the “30 differences” and not 29. The fact that these things were available and easily purchased AND the fact the physicians and medical professionals supported their use.
Although who could argue with the marijuana part of the deal? That is awesome. And kind of neat considering it’s almost as if our country is having a weed renaissance with the stuff being vastly decriminalized, and in some cases, regaining its legal status in many states. Oh, how far we’ve come!
Who knows, maybe 10 years from now marijuana will be legal to buy once again throughout the United States? I suppose only time will tell.
[h/t 9gag.com]
NOW WATCH: