There are some things I’ll never understand.

One of them is how computer hackers can use their computer to break into ours and use it for their own purposes. You would think the computer could refuse to cooperate or something.

Another thing I’ll never understand is television. Even though these appliances have been in common use for 60 years, I still don’t understand how they work or why folks get so wrapped up with the programming.

I remember when my dad retired from farming and began selling televisions back in the early 1950s. Dad worked for a little store called the Appliance Shop, and he sold a lot of television sets. He knew everyone would buy a TV sooner or later, so all he had to do was help them make the decision.

One day, a fellow came into the Appliance Shop to buy his first television, but he was having a terrible time deciding which one he wanted. Dad told him, “I can see you might need a little more time to decide on the television, but you might as well go ahead and get your antenna while you’re here. That way, you’ll be all set up when you get the TV.”

This fellow bought the antenna and went home happy as could be. This made Dad kind of famous down at the coffee shop.
“Who else?” they asked, “could sell an antenna to a man who doesn’t even have a television?”

Folks took their television programs seriously in those days. They would yell at their sets, trade banter with the comedians and get mad at the actors.

A common source of indignation were the wrestling matches. Each of these had a few villains in the ring, and some more in the audience. Many folks didn’t understand that these things were staged, so yelling at the wrestlers became a favorite form of entertainment.

Those early television sets were far less reliable than our modern ones, and blowing a tube was fairly common. When something went wrong with the TV, most folks would call my dad to report the problem.

Dad never repaired a television, but he was the person who sold it and, naturally, seemed the person to call. Then he would call one of the repairmen, Bud or Darrel, and they would go out and fix the set.

One of the popular shows back in those days was a science fiction program called “The Outer Limits.”

This show began with the announcement, “For the next 30 minutes we have control of your horizontal and your vertical.” Then the picture would scroll up and down for a few seconds to create an eerie effect.

One night, at about 9:30, Dad got a call from an older lady who was having trouble with her TV.

When Dad asked her to describe the problem, she said, “Well, I was watching ‘Outer Limits’ when they took control of my vertical, and now they won’t give it back!”

Readers with questions or comments for Roger Pond may write to him in care of this publication.