I Don’t Live In a Vacuum

Kevin and I watched a Dr. Who episode which included the disablement of all electronics with an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) wave. Kevin told me, “When electronics and computers were first invented, they used vacuum tubes, which were resistant to EMP waves. A vacuum tube is like a light bulb…”

“I know what a vacuum tube is,” I stopped him. “Our television set used to have them.”

I didn’t go on, but I will here. When I was a kid, we had a console black and white TV. That meant the TV was in a cabinet/furniture type thing. I don’t think there were portable TV’s then.

The TV had a picture tube and lots of vacuum tubes. Sometimes the vacuum tube would burn out, like a light bulb. My dad would pop out the tube, take it to a store where they had bulb testers, test it, buy a new one and pop it back in.

A few times the big picture tube wouldn’t work, so that part would be taken in for repair. This was this screen of the TV. When it was gone, it left the cabinet almost empty, like a hollow shell. I remember climbing inside and making my own TV shows or commercials, peering out at my pretend audience.

While many other families bought a color TV in the late 60’s, we didn’t get one until I was a senior in high school (1971). For the first time, I could view The Wizard of Oz as it was meant to be viewed.

I had never known the first part of the movie was in black and white. When the house with Dorothy in it (and her little dog, too) landed in Munchkin Land, it all changed into glorious color.

I also understood the part when the guard in Emerald City said, “That’s a horse of a different color.” They showed a horse pulling a carriage, and the horse actually changed from green to blue, orange, red, yellow, and purple (I don’t actually remember all the colors. I cheated and used Google).

 
So, yes, I know about vacuum tubes. Don’t get me started on light bulbs versus those swirly bulbs that look like soft serve ice cream!