Evolution of a conversation

It's interesting to see the evolution of a conversation, especially in the digital age. Tonight, as my son and I were driving home from fishing,  he asked me out of the blue, "Dad, did you really have to go up on the roof to change the antennae to watch TV?"  I told him I only had to go out in the yard and twist the antennae to get UHF and VHF channels.  Someone would have to stay inside and holler when the picture got clear.  "You didn't have a remote?"  "No, son, we had to get up and change the channel." 

That led to talking about what my brother and I did on Saturday nights when my parents went out dancing.  We would alternate weekends either watching Houston Wrestling or the "scary movie," both of which required antennae turning. "The scary movie?" my son asked.  I explained that every Saturday night Channel 26 in Houston would show a horror movie and Channel 39 had Houston Wrestling.  My brother and I would argue about which one to watch.  We talked for a minute about how much fun it was to watch Houston Wrestling and how WWF (now WWE) had destroyed the regional wrestling circuit back in the 80's.  "No, son, I never got to go to Sam Houston Coliseum to see Houston Wrestling."  

He then took out his phone and found some old Houston Wrestling episodes on YouTube.  As I drove, he watched a match between a wrestler named Maniac Mark, managed by Gary Hart, and The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.  "Why are they just walking around looking at each other in the ring? This is weird."  "That's part of the show, son."  

He then found another episode that had commercials, mainly the old national late night advertising campaigns. We saw ads for Mickey Gilley music in record or 8 track, a gag gift barbecue apron, and a "genuine diamond ring for just $10.  Be one of the first one million callers to claim yours."  All of these ads were COD and we talked about what that meant and how these ads showed up all over late night TV.  We also laughed until I could hardly drive listening to them.  

About this time, we pulled in to the driveway and it was time to get out and clean the fish.  As I stepped out, I thought, "How did we get from turning antennas to the precursor of the infomercial?"  

I guess that is how a conversation evolves.  I'm just glad we got to talk and laugh and enjoy the moment.