# Stark reminders that you are getting old **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stark-reminders-that-you-are-getting-old/257632 "2004-07-30T19:38:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 6
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stark-reminders-that-you-are-getting-old/257632/6 "2004-07-30T20:11:31Z")
I’ve told this tale on Straight Dope before, but it really stands out as the the exemplary “Damn I got old” moment for me so I’ll tell it again. Bunch of us were sitting around talking about harmless practical jokes we’d played on people, and at some point I chimed in and told about the time we stuffed Mr. Gibbons’ car with balloons filled with computer punchies and taped a birthday card to the window with a needle to pop balloons with (which of course he did and ended up with a car full of computer punchies, heh heh…) Blank looks. Eventual the question: “What’s a computer punchy”? I start off explaining as a peer talking to an inexplicably ignorant peer and within seconds felt kinda Methusalaesque: Oh, you know, the punchouts. From punch cards. The computer cards with the little holes, they aren’t born with those holes, you know, they get punched out by… uh, or rather _did_ get punched out, back when punch card operators… Umm. Punch cards. Older computers… _WAY_ older computers, used them, I haven’t seen them in years but you’ve probably seen them. Umm, in movies and stuff. Looks like a giant economy-sized card except with little narrow holes in them? No? Well, whatever. Ummm, confetti. Balloons filled with confetti, OK? Now excuse me, I think it’s time for my Geritol. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stark-reminders-that-you-are-getting-old/257632)._