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 really 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 to end all Wars 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 could walk or ride a bike to school by ourselves, and 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.
We knew our neighbors and had joint activities with them. We watched over each other’s home when we went away. I remember going on family vacation 700 miles away and Mom and Dad not being concerned about forgetting to lock up the house.
Neighborhood kids would play together from morning to night and check in for the snack. I grew up in a small town, so in my case 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 a telephone booth to change into Superman.
Actually, I think Mayberry might resemble the lifestyles then, Computers, Cell phones, or Xbox 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. There was a growing civil rights movement, and a new war was beginning, The Cold War.
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 and Elvis. People wanted to live a normal life and raise a family.
You Don’t Have To Be Rich And Famous To Have Adventures!
