Do you remember life before the internet? If you were born after 1989, when an English scientist invented the what would become the world wide web, probably not. What did we do before we had chat rooms to escape to, social media accounts to constantly update and emails that could deliver a thought with a simple click of a button? Here are just a few of the things I remember as a kid, before the internet began taking up so much of our time.

1. We read the newspaper.
smilla4 / Flickr
It was a daily ritual that meant more than simply scanning the headlines online.
2. We went to Aladdin’s Castle.
outletpro / Flickr
It was a great way to spend our hard earned babysitting money.
3. We celebrated our history with a handmade sign.
Jane Cantral / Flickr
Not a "TBT." Note: That stands for "throwback Thursday" for those of you who aren't familiar with the world of social media hashtags.
4. We actually spent time with friends and had a good time.
Aina Vidal / Flickr
In person! No texting, no selfies, just good face-to-face fun.
5. We "put 'em up!"
Nan Palmero / Flickr
You couldn't order anything you wanted at any time of year on Amazon.
6. Snow days were spent like this.
Garrett Fitzgerald / Flickr
Not checking Facebook to see what everyone else was doing.

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7. And we ended our winter days like this.
Reid Gilman / Flickr
After an all-day sledding session, when it was time to go in you simply ran back and left your sled ready for the next day.
8. We went to the library to read actual books made of actual paper.
John Blyberg / Flickr
Rather than simply downloading the title of the week.
9. We hung out with our friends at a Pit Party.
Michael Rosenstein / Flickr
Not in a chat room.
10. We actually enjoyed the view.
David Goehring / Flickr
Without having to take a selfie first.
11. We shipwrecked!
alanszalwinski / Flickr
Checking Google Maps wasn't an option.
12. We actually left the house to rent a movie.
Jet Video Online Website
Without Netflix or Amazon Prime, a night of sitting on the couch required some legwork.
13. We made things that we needed.
kit / Flickr
We didn't order everything online.

The best part of this list is that we can certainly get back to this lifestyle. Let’s all just spend a little more time in the present with the people we love. What do you miss about before we all became so reliant on technology? Let us know over on the Only in Maine Facebook page!

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