I wonder if young people today ever consider how their parents and grandparents survived without iPhones, video-games, iPads, computers, and other hand held gaming devices?

I am happy to report to them that not only did we survive but we survived happily, and with many fond memories.

In fact, I feel saddened by the loss of interaction between young people, children, and adults because of all the new gadgets available today.

First of all, I was absolutely and unequivocally blessed with the best Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents.

It is only because of them and their generous and loving nature that I was able to see just about every single Disney movie along with all the other blockbuster hits made for children and teenagers on the wide screen during the 1960s and 1970s.

However, there was one movie that our family always referred to with love and reverence.

The movie that I am referring to is:

“The Love Bug.”

Our entire family loved this movie so much that we invented a game in this movie’s honour which quickly became a favorite past-time for many years.

This game was called:

‘Counting The Herbies,’

This game was always best played at my Aunt and Uncle’s home in Fairfax Virginia. Down the street from their house was a ravine which overlooked one of the busiest highways in the state. I will guess that this is because we were only twenty minutes outside of Washington DC.

Hence, the heavy traffic.

On a nice afternoon, usually after lunch it would be suggested that we all go for a walk down the street and…

‘Count The Herbie’s’.

For this walk we were usually accompanied by either a parent or a grandparent.

My fondest recollections however, are those which included my grandfather.

With his cane in hand he would stroll down the block with no less than three grandchildren in tow and sometimes as many as six.

And then the counting would commence.

One, two, three, four, five Herbies…

Each of us would pipe up in turn as they came into view.

It wasn’t always that easy when the traffic was fast and heavy. Sometimes it could even get a bit tedious if traffic was intermittent and sparse.

But one thing was for sure….

There were lots and lots of Volkswagen autos out on the roads. In those days, these cars were very popular as well as economical.

And so we would count till we had reached one hundred Herbies.

Then, highly amused and pleased with ourselves we would head back to my Aunt’s and Uncle’s house where we would feast on Ho-Ho’s and Hawaiian Punch.

Life was very good then.

We got our exercise, a family outing, practiced our math and observational skills and interacted as a loving family.

Now tell me, what software app can do that?