[Rhodes22-list] Fw: Fw: A kid in the 1950's...
lcrowther
rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Wed, 28 Aug 2002 11:41:34 -0400
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Being a Kid in the '50s=20
Were you a kid in the Fifties or earlier? Everybody=20
makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Grandkids=20
snicker. Twenty-something's shudder and say "Eeeew!"=20
But was our childhood really all that bad? Judge for yourself:=20
In 1953 The US population was less than 150 million...=20
Yet you knew more people then, and knew them better...=20
And that was good.=20
The average annual salary was under $3,000... Yet our=20
parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and=20
still live a decent life... And that was good.=20
A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents... But it was safe=20
for a five-year-old to skate to the store and buy=20
one... And that was good.=20
Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet,=20
Gunsmoke and Lassie... So nobody ever heard of ratings=20
or filters... And that was good.=20
We didn't have air-conditioning... So the windows=20
stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when=20
you fell off your bike... And that was good.=20
Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or=20
Mr. Adkins... But not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan... And that=20
was good.=20
The only hazardous material you knew about... Was a=20
patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner...=20
And that was good.=20
You loved to climb into a fresh bed... Because sheets=20
were dried on the clothesline... And that was good.=20
People generally lived in the same hometown with their=20
relatives... So "child care" meant grandparents or=20
aunts and uncles... And that was good.=20
Parents were respected, and their rules were law....=20
Children did not talk back..... and that was good.=20
TV was in black-and-white... But all outdoors was in=20
glorious color....And that was certainly good.=20
Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor...=20
And the Dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV=20
knobs... And that was very good.=20
Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard...=20
And chickens behind the garage... And that was=20
definitely good.=20
And just when you were about to do something really=20
bad... Chances were you'd run into your Dad's high=20
school coach... Or the nosy old lady from up the=20
street... Or your little sister's piano teacher... Or=20
somebody from Church...=20
ALL of whom knew your parents' phone number... And=20
YOUR first name... And even THAT was good! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~=20
Send this on to someone who can still remember Nancy=20
Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello,=20
Sky King, Little Lulu comics, Brenda Starr, Howdy Doody=20
and The Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows,=20
Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.=20
As well as the sound of a reel mower on Saturday morning,=20
and summers filled with bike rides, playing in cowboy land,=20
playing hide and seek and kick-the-can and Simon Says,=20
baseball games on the radio, amateur shows at the local theater=20
before the Saturday matinee, bowling and visits to the pool...=20
and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar, and wax lips and bubblegum=20
cigars=20
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</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#d8d0c8>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Being a Kid in the '50s </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Were you a kid in the Fifties or earlier? Everybody </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Grandkids </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>snicker. Twenty-something's shudder and say "Eeeew!" </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>But was our childhood really all that bad? Judge for yourself: =
</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>In 1953 The US population was less than 150 million... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Yet you knew more people then, and knew them better... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> The average annual salary was under $3,000... Yet our </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>still live a decent life... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents... But it was safe </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>for a five-year-old to skate to the store and buy </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>one... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Gunsmoke and Lassie... So nobody ever heard of ratings </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>or filters... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> We didn't have air-conditioning... So the windows </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>you fell off your bike... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Mr. Adkins... But not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan... And that </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> The only hazardous material you knew about... Was a </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> You loved to climb into a fresh bed... Because sheets </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>were dried on the clothesline... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> People generally lived in the same hometown with their </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>relatives... So "child care" meant grandparents or </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>aunts and uncles... And that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> Parents were respected, and their rules were law.... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Children did not talk back..... and that was good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> TV was in black-and-white... But all outdoors was in </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>glorious color....And that was certainly good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>And the Dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>knobs... And that was very good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>And chickens behind the garage... And that was </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>definitely good. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> And just when you were about to do something really </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>bad... Chances were you'd run into your Dad's high </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>school coach... Or the nosy old lady from up the </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>street... Or your little sister's piano teacher... Or </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>somebody from Church... </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>ALL of whom knew your parents' phone number... And </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>YOUR first name... And even THAT was good! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Send this on to someone who can still remember Nancy </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Drew, The Hardy Boys, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, =
</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Sky King, Little Lulu comics, Brenda Starr, Howdy Doody </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>and The Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Nellie Belle, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk. </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>As well as the sound of a reel mower on Saturday morning, </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>and summers filled with bike rides, playing in cowboy land, </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>playing hide and seek and kick-the-can and Simon Says, </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>baseball games on the radio, amateur shows at the local theater =
</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>before the Saturday matinee, bowling and visits to the pool... =
</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar, and wax lips and bubblegum =
</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>cigars </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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