Cooking in the PM era

-It was a stunning thought that caught me by surprise. Hungry for leftovers, I was slapping a good size hunk of roast, with included gravy, onto a plate, destined for the microwave. I remember this dish, when it first came out of the oven.... moist, a little pink in the middle, a masterpiece. I also remember the last time I nuked some roast beef..... hard, tough, dry, but hot. And then the thought hit me! Why not cook it on the stove, in a pan, like the old days. I almost felt rebellious, a bit archaic, like those guys who continue to wear wind-em-up pocket watches. But I let the thought develop in my head, and it led to a new moment in my day.
-In the 'pre-microwave' days (PM era is about pre-1970), we had to heat leftovers in the oven, or in a pan. Then you had to add water, nurse it so it wouldn't burn, and wait. And wait. If you had a pound of burger to defrost, you did it in a pan, turning and scraping to your heart's content, until you had it all cooked. It was the only option if you wanted to eat, and then microwaves changed all that. Technology made us all smart, and who could resist the marvel of instant leftovers? Only a fool would wait over a hot stove for the same food.
-By the way, did you know the first microwave was built in 1947, installed in a Boston restaurant, was 6-ft tall, weighed 750 pounds, was water cooled, and cost $5,000? You'd have to like popcorn a lot to drop that kind of dough in 1947.
-So I did something I hadn't done for 40 years: I put my leftovers in a pan, added water, put the heat on low, and waited. It felt good to wait on food, like I was respecting the cow or something. I even added some extra minced onion for variety, knowing it had time to cook in.
-After 15 minutes, my reward was great: roast as good as the first time, and gravy better the second time around. Does anybody remember doing popcorn on the stove?