Were You A Kid In The Fifties Or So? Everybody makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Granchildren snicker. Twenty-something's shudder and say "Eeeew!" But was our childhood really all that bad? Judge for yourself. In 1953 the US population was less than 150 million. Yet you knew more people then and knew them better. You never thought you would live to see the day when the Government took half your income in taxes. And that was good. The average annual salary was under $3,000. Yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life. We thought if the minimum wage was raised to $1.00, nobody would be able to hire outside help at the store. When we first started driving, we never thought gas would someday cost more than 29 cents a gallon. And that was good. A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents and a week's grocery bill was under $20.00. But it was safe for a five-year old to skate to the store and buy bread. And that was good. Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Gunsmoke and Lassie. So nobody ever heard of ratings or filters. And that was good. We did not have air conditioning. So the windows stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when you fell off your bike. And that was good. Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or Mr. Adkins. Not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan. And that was good. The only hazardous material you knew about was a patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner. And that was good. You loved to climb into a fresh bed because the sheets were dried on the clothesline. Remember we thought we would never see the day when all of our kitchen appliances would be electric...we never even dreamed of electric typewriters. And that was good. People generally lived in the same hometown with their relatives so "child care" meant grandparents or aunts and uncles. We never thought we would see the day when things got so tough that married women would have to go to work to make ends meet or that young couples would have to hire someone to watch their children so they could both work. And that was good. Parents were respected and their rules were law. Children did not talk back. And that was good. TV was in black-and-white. But all outdoors was in glorious color. And that was certainly good. Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor. And the Dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV knobs. And that was very good. Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard and chickens behind the garage. We thought the drive-in restaurant was convenient in nice weather, but seriously doubted they would ever catch on. And that was definitely good. And just when you were about to do something really bad, chances were you would run into your Dad's high school coach, or the nosy old lady from up the street, or your little sister's piano teacher, or somebody from Church. All of whom knew your parents' phone number and your first name. And even that was good. Remember Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Sky King, Little Lulu comics, Brenda Starr, Howdy Doody and The Peanut Galery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk as well as the sound of a reel mower on Saturday morning, summers filled with bike rides, playing cowboy land, playing hide and seek and kick-the-can and Simon Says, baseball games, amateur shows at the local theater before the Saturday matinee, bowling and visits to the pool and eating Kool Aid powder with sugar, and wax lips and bubble gum cigars. Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!" And was it really that long ago? Links to other sites on the Web Previous Guest Book Entries Sign Guestbook View Guestbook Home Page Previous Next Page Overview Page © 2000 [email protected]
Everybody makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Granchildren snicker. Twenty-something's shudder and say "Eeeew!" But was our childhood really all that bad? Judge for yourself.
In 1953 the US population was less than 150 million. Yet you knew more people then and knew them better. You never thought you would live to see the day when the Government took half your income in taxes. And that was good.
The average annual salary was under $3,000. Yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life. We thought if the minimum wage was raised to $1.00, nobody would be able to hire outside help at the store. When we first started driving, we never thought gas would someday cost more than 29 cents a gallon. And that was good.
A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents and a week's grocery bill was under $20.00. But it was safe for a five-year old to skate to the store and buy bread. And that was good.
Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Gunsmoke and Lassie. So nobody ever heard of ratings or filters. And that was good.
We did not have air conditioning. So the windows stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when you fell off your bike. And that was good.
Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or Mr. Adkins. Not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan. And that was good.
The only hazardous material you knew about was a patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner. And that was good.
You loved to climb into a fresh bed because the sheets were dried on the clothesline. Remember we thought we would never see the day when all of our kitchen appliances would be electric...we never even dreamed of electric typewriters. And that was good.
People generally lived in the same hometown with their relatives so "child care" meant grandparents or aunts and uncles. We never thought we would see the day when things got so tough that married women would have to go to work to make ends meet or that young couples would have to hire someone to watch their children so they could both work. And that was good.
Parents were respected and their rules were law. Children did not talk back. And that was good.
TV was in black-and-white. But all outdoors was in glorious color. And that was certainly good.
Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor. And the Dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV knobs. And that was very good.
Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard and chickens behind the garage. We thought the drive-in restaurant was convenient in nice weather, but seriously doubted they would ever catch on. And that was definitely good.
And just when you were about to do something really bad, chances were you would run into your Dad's high school coach, or the nosy old lady from up the street, or your little sister's piano teacher, or somebody from Church. All of whom knew your parents' phone number and your first name. And even that was good.
Remember Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Sky King, Little Lulu comics, Brenda Starr, Howdy Doody and The Peanut Galery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk as well as the sound of a reel mower on Saturday morning, summers filled with bike rides, playing cowboy land, playing hide and seek and kick-the-can and Simon Says, baseball games, amateur shows at the local theater before the Saturday matinee, bowling and visits to the pool and eating Kool Aid powder with sugar, and wax lips and bubble gum cigars.
Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!"
And was it really that long ago?
Links to other sites on the Web
Previous Guest Book Entries
© 2000 [email protected]