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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: History / Historical
- Published: 09/07/2022
Reflections Growing Up In The 1950’s Sm
Born 1950, M, from Sparta, il, United StatesI grew up in the 1950’s as a member of what is commonly referred to as the “Baby Boomer” generation. The term “Baby Boomer” comes from the fact that after the low birth rate during the Great Depression of the 1930s and Second World War, there was an explosion of births with the end of the War and the return of American troops and prosperity.
It truly was different back then. Life was simpler, less hectic, and mellower. I think the fifties decade was the best time to be a kid growing up. Homes were safe back then; we didn’t need complicated security systems. The second World War had ended a few years before and the Korean War ended in 1953. What we knew of them was that they were something dads and uncles came back from.
We knew our neighbors and had joint activities with them. We watched over each other’s home when away. I remember going on a family vacation 700 miles away. Mom and Dad were not concerned about forgetting to lock up the house.
Neighborhood kids would play outdoors together from morning to night and check in for the all-important snack. The streets were safer because there was far less traffic. In the small town where I grew up, the neighborhood was the entire town. Someone was always keeping track of things. Face to face communication existed.
Most of our telephones were connected via “party lines” and we used our fingers in a circular motion to dial those phones. Telephones, in somewhat private booths, were strategically placed on corners downtown. On TV we would see a “mild-mannered” man called Clark Kent use it to change into Superman.
Computers, Cell phones, or Xboxes were not needed for entertainment. Family stability was extremely important. Men and women stayed married no matter what the difficulty. Keeping oneself working is how the family stayed together.
We lived in a country with the most powerful military in the world and our economy was booming. That economy helped create a sense of stability.
The 1950s was also an era of great conflict. It had its share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. There was a growing civil rights movement, and a new war was beginning, The Cold War.
How we managed school was observed by supportive parents. If we misbehaved in school, a second punishment would be waiting at home.
It was an era of black and white TV’s, am radios, and .28 cents per gallon gasoline. It was also the birth of Rock and Roll music. Elvis was King. We danced to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others.
The 1950s was known as “The Golden Age of Television”. But there were only three major broadcaster of television programing, ABC, CBS and NBC. On our sets, we watched, usually with the entire family, shows such as Davy Crockett, Andy Griffith, I love Lucy, Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best. On the weekends, the kids watched cartoons.
There was also that Saturday matinee at the movie house. It usually consisted of several cartoon, a cowboy movie or serial, and a war movie. The audio quality, by the way, was not necessarily the best, but we didn’t care.
The boys would drive their die cast cars, trucks, and farm equipment. Some would strap on the six guns and go after the bad guys. I would play for hours with my battery powered erector set. The girls would dress their plastic mannequin dolls or skip rope. Brothers, sisters, Moms, and Dads might even have strapped on the roller skates. That is, if they could find the key? My younger sister enjoyed playing with her miniature family in their doll house. Then came the rage. Everyone did it! Hula Hoop, Play-Doh, Silly Putty, Slinky.
Sometimes we would pile in the car, drive to the big screen in the country, and park next to a metal pole. Depending on the season, the driver’s side window would be rolled up or down a little and a speaker attached to the pole with a wire would be placed on the window. We might see Moses with his arms spread wide in “The Ten Commandments”. Or maybe we would watch John Wayne search for his abducted niece in the “Searchers”.
We could fearlessly walk or ride a bike to school by ourselves. Mothers would be at home raising the little ones and would wait for us to come home from school in the afternoons. Supper came after six, when fathers would come home from work to join in the family activities.
I miss those less complicated days.
Reflections Growing Up In The 1950’s Sm(Ed DeRousse)
I grew up in the 1950’s as a member of what is commonly referred to as the “Baby Boomer” generation. The term “Baby Boomer” comes from the fact that after the low birth rate during the Great Depression of the 1930s and Second World War, there was an explosion of births with the end of the War and the return of American troops and prosperity.
It truly was different back then. Life was simpler, less hectic, and mellower. I think the fifties decade was the best time to be a kid growing up. Homes were safe back then; we didn’t need complicated security systems. The second World War had ended a few years before and the Korean War ended in 1953. What we knew of them was that they were something dads and uncles came back from.
We knew our neighbors and had joint activities with them. We watched over each other’s home when away. I remember going on a family vacation 700 miles away. Mom and Dad were not concerned about forgetting to lock up the house.
Neighborhood kids would play outdoors together from morning to night and check in for the all-important snack. The streets were safer because there was far less traffic. In the small town where I grew up, the neighborhood was the entire town. Someone was always keeping track of things. Face to face communication existed.
Most of our telephones were connected via “party lines” and we used our fingers in a circular motion to dial those phones. Telephones, in somewhat private booths, were strategically placed on corners downtown. On TV we would see a “mild-mannered” man called Clark Kent use it to change into Superman.
Computers, Cell phones, or Xboxes were not needed for entertainment. Family stability was extremely important. Men and women stayed married no matter what the difficulty. Keeping oneself working is how the family stayed together.
We lived in a country with the most powerful military in the world and our economy was booming. That economy helped create a sense of stability.
The 1950s was also an era of great conflict. It had its share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. There was a growing civil rights movement, and a new war was beginning, The Cold War.
How we managed school was observed by supportive parents. If we misbehaved in school, a second punishment would be waiting at home.
It was an era of black and white TV’s, am radios, and .28 cents per gallon gasoline. It was also the birth of Rock and Roll music. Elvis was King. We danced to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others.
The 1950s was known as “The Golden Age of Television”. But there were only three major broadcaster of television programing, ABC, CBS and NBC. On our sets, we watched, usually with the entire family, shows such as Davy Crockett, Andy Griffith, I love Lucy, Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best. On the weekends, the kids watched cartoons.
There was also that Saturday matinee at the movie house. It usually consisted of several cartoon, a cowboy movie or serial, and a war movie. The audio quality, by the way, was not necessarily the best, but we didn’t care.
The boys would drive their die cast cars, trucks, and farm equipment. Some would strap on the six guns and go after the bad guys. I would play for hours with my battery powered erector set. The girls would dress their plastic mannequin dolls or skip rope. Brothers, sisters, Moms, and Dads might even have strapped on the roller skates. That is, if they could find the key? My younger sister enjoyed playing with her miniature family in their doll house. Then came the rage. Everyone did it! Hula Hoop, Play-Doh, Silly Putty, Slinky.
Sometimes we would pile in the car, drive to the big screen in the country, and park next to a metal pole. Depending on the season, the driver’s side window would be rolled up or down a little and a speaker attached to the pole with a wire would be placed on the window. We might see Moses with his arms spread wide in “The Ten Commandments”. Or maybe we would watch John Wayne search for his abducted niece in the “Searchers”.
We could fearlessly walk or ride a bike to school by ourselves. Mothers would be at home raising the little ones and would wait for us to come home from school in the afternoons. Supper came after six, when fathers would come home from work to join in the family activities.
I miss those less complicated days.
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Gerald R Gioglio
10/24/2022Thanks for documenting the history of that time, Ed. I remember and can identify a lot of it. So, thanks also for the memories. jg
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Ed DeRousse
10/25/2022As I get older and my life seems to be more complicated, the past looks to be less complicated. I look upon my past with much fondness.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Lillian Kazmierczak
10/23/2022While I missed the 50s by a decade, I could relate to alot of this. I miss those simpler times. Congratulations on short story star of the week!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Ed DeRousse
10/24/2022Life certainly was simpler as a youth. Thank you for reading this story and commenting.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
09/07/2022Aloha Ed,
I won't say it was a better time to be a child, I will say it was a different time. I am watching my Grandkids grow up the sense that their childhood is the best time to be alive. Allthough I should mention neither my kids, nor my grandkids grew up with TV's or screen time. School and Covid made screen time mandatory...but they hated it. So yeah, a childhood of the fifities is still possible nowadays. Not so for Adults.
But two memories reached out to grab your story...one was about the famous "Key" for roller skating. Three of my sisters - all had their boyfriends "Key" as a sign of going steady. Then some got "pinned." And by the time I got a serious girlfriend, she either put yarn around your HS Ring, or you bought her a friendship ring, or pendant. You can't skate without that key, it held the two parts together...and so, was a great symbol for holding a couple together.
The Other was the "Party Line." I laughed out loud at that one. Mrs. Cabcar was the neighborhood busy body, and it took some stern words from my Mom (and other Mom's) to get her to hang up and get off of the line. I remember when Dad finally made enough money to get us a "Private Line" and when they hooked it up...no more Mrs. Cabcar. LOL
To be fair, Mrs. Cabcar also had a heart of gold and would pay us young kids the astronomical sum of either a Dime or a Quarter to take out her garbage cans, or run up to the Deli to buy salted fish, or fresh herbs. Sometimes, she would even come over when we were playing baseball (in the middle of the street, in the middle of the day, in the middle of a what was then a big city) and hand the oldest boy a couple dollars:
"When the game is over, you take everyone up to Gordon's and let them each get a single scoop of ice cream...bring me back hte change."
And you know what? Whoever got that money, always, without exception, did buy each of us a single scoop cone, and they did bring the change back to Mrs. Cabcar. And she always winked and said: "I knew you were a good boy ...keep the change."
Yeah, it was a different time.
Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Ed DeRousse
09/07/2022Kevin, I am glad you enjoyed this look back at some small town history and the good memories it produced for you.
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