By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL/Designated Writers

I’ve got to admit I was little disappointed by my Census 2020 experience. Sure, it was easy. Sure, it was quick. Sure, it was user-friendly.

It just wasn’t as cool as it was 50 years ago. Before this goes any further, I must admit I have zero recollection of my census experience of 1980 (in college), 1990 (just had third child, so I was a little busy), 2000 (still relieved that Y2K didn’t blow up the world) and 2010 (still mad about turning 50).

When it comes to the census, nothing compares to 1970. When I found out that somebody was going to come to our house with a big clipboard and a #2 pencil and ring our doorbell, I could hardly stand the anticipation. You think you’ve been self-quarantining lately? I invented the concept while waiting for the big day. In wasn’t going to miss it. Would it be a man or a woman? What kind of questions were they going to ask? Were we supposed to offer food or drink? Was there room for levity or was this purely business?

And on one spring Saturday afternoon … BINGO! She was very nice and pleasant and asked all sorts of interesting questions, almost all of which I had no clue as to the answer. I was unsure if our family was going to get a grade on the answers that were given, so I just hoped my father didn’t screw anything up.

As I remember, it seemed to last for quite awhile and was everything I had hoped it would be.

Skip forward to last week, when I got a postcard with an website address. I logged on, filled in a few blanks, checked a few boxes, and that was it. Three minutes, tops. In 1970, we hadn’t finished with the pre-game pleasantries in three minutes.

But count me in! See you in 10 years.