Ever had one of those moments that makes you stop, chuckle, and then suddenly feel about a century old? I need to just share one such gem, and it’s a perfect reminder of how quickly times (and common knowledge) change!
Picture this: a lively scout meeting. Fellow Scout Leader Ray is deep into a map-reading session with the youngsters. The task? To get the scouts creating their own maps, pinpointing local landmarks and features. A classic scouting activity, right?
Here’s the orginal youtube shiort video that you can watch:- https://youtube.com/shorts/5U-0Al-UlEM?si=TlonqEtW_wVnSYNv
As I explained, “Ray is currently doing some map reading with the scouts. They’re making their own map with pinpoints and locations and stuff like that.”
So far, so good. Ray then instructs the scouts to include a specific, once-ubiquitous, item on their maps: a telephone box.
And that’s when the generational divide hit them like a ton of well-tied knots.
One of the scouts, with pure, innocent curiosity, approached Ray and asked the question that sent me & Ray (and likely many viewers) into fits of laughter:
“What is a telephone box?”
I was filming the aftermath, couldn’t help but share his amusement. “Does that make you feel really old?” I asked Ray. Ray, looking thoroughly bemused, confirms, “It makes me feel really old!”
The exchange didn’t stop there. I overheard Ray trying to explain, likely mentioning that, yes, people used to use these before everyone had a mobile phone. Ray even hilariously compared it to his own struggles at work, saying, “It’s like, I can’t deal with people at work that were born when it was 2000-something!”
This little incident is a brilliant, lighthearted snapshot of how rapidly our world evolves. What was once a common street fixture, a vital communication tool (and, let’s be honest, sometimes a makeshift shelter from the rain), is now a relic unknown to a generation that’s grown up with smartphones in their pockets.
These moments can actually be valuable teaching opportunities, though. They give us a chance to connect Scouts with history in a tangible way. While Ray might have felt ancient, he was also passing on cultural knowledge that bridges generations—helping young people understand how dramatically communication has evolved in just a few decades. OS maps still show telephone boxes with their distinctive symbols, making this relevant to their map reading skills as well as their cultural awareness.
It’s a funny story that’s sure to resonate with anyone who’s ever tried to explain a floppy disk, a cassette tape, or the screeching sound of a dial-up modem to someone younger.
So, next time you’re feeling your age, just remember the scout who had never heard of a telephone box. It’s a good laugh, and a reminder that we’re all just navigating the ever-changing map of life!
What “telephone box” moment has made you feel old recently? Share your stories in the comments below!
12 Comments
Brilliant story Mark! 😂 Had exactly the same thing happen last month when I mentioned using a phone book to look up numbers. The blank stares were priceless! At least telephone boxes are still on OS maps – wait until they ask what those little squares with flags on them are (post offices)!
Sarah, yes! The phone book one gets them every time 😂 And you’re absolutely right about the post offices – half the symbols on OS maps are going to be mysteries soon. At least it keeps map reading interesting!
This is gold! As someone who remembers queuing outside the village phone box with a pocket full of 10p coins, this really hits home.
My own kids think I’m making it up when I tell them we had to actually REMEMBER phone numbers. Great teaching moment though – love how you turned Ray’s embarrassment into a cultural bridge!
Dave, pocket full of 10p coins – that takes me back! You’re so right about remembering numbers too. I still know my childhood home number off by heart but ask me what I had for breakfast yesterday… 🤷♂️
Poor Ray took it well though!
Oh my word, this made me laugh so much! Last week my daughter’s scout group were doing a ‘then and now’ activity and one of the kids genuinely asked if people in the olden days (the 90s!) had to walk everywhere because cars weren’t invented yet. The leader nearly choked on her tea! 🤣
Jenny, the 90s being “olden days” – ouch! 😅 Though to be fair, the gap between having cars and having smartphones probably does seem massive to them. At least your leader survived the shock!
Brilliant read! I actually used to service those red boxes back in the day. Fun fact – there are still around 20,000 phone boxes in the UK, though most are now defibrillator points or mini libraries. That scout might actually come across one on a hike! The irony is they’re probably more reliable than mobile signal in some remote areas we camp in.
That’s fascinating about the 20,000 still being around! You’re absolutely right about signal in remote areas too – might have to tell the scouts to look out for them on hikes as backup communication!
Thanks for the insider knowledge.
This is why I love working with young people – they keep us humble! Had a similar moment explaining what ‘rewinding’ a video meant. But honestly, these conversations are some of my favorites.
Watching their faces light up when they realize how different things were is magical. Ray sounds like a legend for rolling with it!
Lisa, “rewinding” – brilliant! 🤣 These conversations really are the best part of the job aren’t they? Ray definitely took it in his stride. The kids keep us young and old at the same time somehow!
Ha! Try explaining party lines to them – when you had to share your phone line with neighbors and could listen in on their conversations.
Or the art of making a reverse charge call from a payphone. Though I have to say, seeing a group of scouts successfully navigate with map and compass while most adults can’t function without GPS gives me hope for the future!
Party lines – now that would really blow their minds! Though you make a great point about the compass skills. Maybe we’re overthinking it – they might not know what a phone box is, but they can still find their way home without GPS. That’s got to count for something! 🧭