Alive and Kicking: Everyday Things I Assumed Had Vanished

A few weeks ago, my flight home got canceled, thanks to an ill-timed tropical storm, and I spent a long night at the airport. During my delay, I came across a surprising show of sorts. I wrote about my night in the airport in my story The Best Show in the Airport Starts After Midnight.

When my new flight finally started to board the next day, a large crowd surged toward the entrance. In an effort to stay out of the way until it was my turn, I stepped aside and stood against a nearby wall. What did my wondering eyes behold? A real live pay phone.

You remember them, right? Let your fingers do the walking and all that business. Oh, wait—that was the Yellow Pages, not an AT&T pay phone advertisement, but you get the idea.

I was at a loss for words. I was inclined to take a picture, but by that point, I just wanted to get home. Get me home now please!

But the more I thought about it, the more strange it became. Does anyone still use a pay phone—especially in an airport? I suppose if someone’s battery died in an emergency, it could happen. Goodness knows battery life is a constant worry for me, though I always carry a charging cord just in case.

In any event, that pay phone got me thinking about other things I assumed had vanished. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been keeping a list of things that are nearly forgotten, but not quite out of existence. See how your list compares to mine:

5– SeaWorld. In recent years, SeaWorld has faced major public controversy due to ethical concerns about keeping large marine mammals, especially orcas, in captivity. With all the backlash, I assumed the brand was history—yet right there in the terminal was a fully operating SeaWorld store and promotions for the park. So, the key word is “changed” but “not forgotten.” (For the record: SeaWorld halted its killer whale breeding program in 2016 — the orcas currently living at the park will remain there for the rest of their lives.)

4–Paper airline tickets. I saw a couple carrying actual paper tickets. The surprising part? They weren’t averse to technology. They were holding state-of-the-art smartphones, and the woman even pulled out a high-end tablet.

3–Magazines in the Airport stand. People read! They really, truly read print media.

2–New vinyl records. I knew vinyl had made a comeback, but I assumed it was mostly vintage pressings—a lot of Led Zeppelin and Van Halen. I had no idea current no-name, up-and-coming, and star musicians were releasing new albums on wax. In fact, a significant chunk of independent and modern mainstream artists now release their new music on vinyl.

1. Typewriters. Believe it or not, you can still buy a brand-new typewriter today.

Honorable Mentions

The compass was invented in China during the Han dynasty over 2,000 years ago and is still used for navigation. Printed maps still exist, too—my wife swears by them. Now, if only they were as easy to fold up as closing an app on my phone!

Your Turn

Have you spotted any of these lately, or encountered something else you thought was long gone? Let me know in the comments!