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TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's!!!

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by irdreed, 2007/02/22.

  1. 2007/03/22
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    early t.v.

    Iwas born in 50, grew up on Roy Rogers, the original 1/2 hr. Gunsmoke.The tonight show with Jack Parr, Howdt Dowdy with Buffalo Bob,Paladin Bonanza,Saturday morning cartoons(Bugs, Daffy,Might Mouse. The first frozen dinners,chicken pop pies. Saturday night was a big bowl of popcorn with the Jack Benny show, The honeymonners,Steve Allan and the unbelievable Red Skelton. Kids today may have computers and ipods and xbox3's but nothing today beat Saturday night withn Popcorn, The Honeymooners, Red Skelton and the whole family sprawled out in front of that little black and white.
     
    Tim,
    #21
  2. 2007/03/22
    Dytrog

    Dytrog Inactive

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    I too was born in 50. we listened to the radio shows gunsmoke, the cisco kid some kid progams. superman. you musta been rich we went to the neighbors house to watch tv. we didn't get one till 57. I miss the old day's as i got older i hitch-hiked from so. cal to oregon and east to michigan. never thinking or worrying about who would be kind enought to give me a ride. I may miss those times but i am also spoiled as most. i like the new toys too. LOL they just cost alot more than the ones i could make with my pocket knife. I like air conditioned autos, comps and more than 3 tv stations. even if nuthin is on! :rolleyes:
     

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  4. 2007/03/23
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    Being Rich?

    With 7 sisters and 2 brothers,(I'm number 6 out of 10) we sure weren't rich(lots of potatoes, beans and home made Irish soda bread)except in the amount of bonding that goes on in alarge family.( we were our own baseball and football teams) I thank my older siblings for the fact we had a t.v., they did odd jobs around the neighborhood to help pay for it. I wouldn't hitch these days on abet. My brothers and I use to play splitz with our pocket knifes, I think my oldest brother still has a scar in his foot from playing that. Good clean honest fun.
     
    Tim,
    #23
  5. 2007/03/24
    pishbloom2

    pishbloom2 Well-Known Member

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    isnt it amazing we all survived? i grew up in the 50s and in our house if you werent in the house in the summer when the streetlights went on uhoh! and if you were naughty in school you got it at school and at home. how about riding around in cars with no seat belts or padded dashes or safety glass. imagine no cell phones, no computers, only 3 channels on a tv. its a wonder we werent bored yet kids today have so much stuff and they holler how bored they are.
     
  6. 2007/03/24
    Dytrog

    Dytrog Inactive

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    7 sisters 4 brothers I was # 10, 2 younger sisters.
     
  7. 2007/03/25
    James

    James Inactive

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    A theme that continues to present itself is the boredom of today's youth. I'd like to add to this that a large part of the problem is today's parents. It seems to me that they're far too permissive. Individualism (while a good thing) can also be mishandled and the demands by children and by their parents have gone a long way towards messing it up. "Don't touch my Johnny! He has his rights!"

    I taught for 32 years and saw towards the end of my career an increasing (and alarming) breakdown in respect for authority with an accompanying outright defiance. Parents literally tied my hands so that discipline in the classroom became an extremely difficult thing to do. I took an early retirement, I was so aggravated by what had become of our schools.

    I fully agree: many children today are bored unless they are provided with toys and a fully-supervised schedule of sports and costly programs. We on the other hand, played out on the street ('til the street lights came on' as someone posted) and made our own games. We read. We went for hikes in the bush. We skated on the frozen pond until our toes started tingling.

    Born in 46; can you tell? :rolleyes:
     
  8. 2007/03/25
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    the50s

    ahd how we don't show them any respect. My day you had to earn respect,and elders were respected as a given,but than again we ate dinner around the table and the old man wanted to know what was going on in school and he wanted to hear from each of us, aswell as what plans we both we nad he had. Chores were assigned and there was no excuse for them not being done. Guess today parents are to busy working two jobs just to keep up with the Jonses
     
    Tim,
    #27
  9. 2007/03/25
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    7 sisters 4 brothers?

    Do you remember getting up early so you could get into the bathroom before the girls got to it? I can still remember washing up with the hose in the back yard because the girls got the bathroom first and would pass it down from sister to sister. Even if you did manage to get in between groups of females there was never any hoy water.
     
    Tim,
    #28
  10. 2007/03/29
    LewstherinII

    LewstherinII Inactive

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    Okay; I've been reading this nostalgic stuff and I have to say you all have a case of Pleasantville Syndrome - you really need to watch that movie.

    This is not out to offend anyone but it will be quite short and blunt, to be honest.

    Times have changed; families aren't what they used to be, yes, I agree; but by sitting here saying 'aahhh I wish I could go back everything's going downhill' is not the answer.

    People in the 1950s were saying how the mannerisms of children were at an all-time low; how society had deteriorated to a terrible point; what society HASN'T said to each other about the next generation: 'that's not how it was when we were kids' and 'it was so much better when we were young'

    My advice to you all: watch Pleasantville. Have we forgotten the terrible acts of violence over the cultural mix in society? Have we forgotten how women were never given the same opportunities in the 50s, 60s, 40s, 30s or EVER as opposed to today? Have we forgotten the drug singers and artists of the 50s that is declining today because we have acquired the knowledge in the cirriculum to be aware of these issues?
    Perhaps its smoking that's the problem. Back in the 'good old days' 75% of people smoked - now, 20%.
    And if disrespect is ever to be blamed on someone its the ever-growing list of wants we consumers acquire that work second jobs and whatnot; if there's a breakdown of the family units its essentially a parent's job to deal with it; maybe they did it better in the 50s but I'll say it again: every old generation will comment on the new generation critically, as if we should do things EXACTLY as they are.

    And humanity itself evolves; if humanity didn't change, then we wouldn't be here; come on. Kids don't cry that they're bored all the time, I really have to question that fact!

    I have to go now but I'll keep going later. I don't mean to offend anyone, please don't take it like that.
     
  11. 2007/03/29
    charlesvar

    charlesvar Inactive Alumni

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    Hello LewstherinII and welcome to the Board :)

    Sure, you make good points.

    Humans have a tendency to view the world thru their navels.

    For most of us as kids, growing up in a white middle class world, it was safe and ideal.

    For our parents, it was probably different. They had the Red Scare and nukes to deal with. An earlier generation had the Depression and a war to deal with. My granddaughter will have ??? to deal with. And so it goes :)

    Regards - Charles
     
  12. 2007/03/29
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    Pleasantville

    Rice, potatoes, beans , cornbread,curatains drawn in class rooms with body tucked under seat to protect from atomic blasts, mcCarthyiism, cuban missle crisis.hand me down clothes and bicycles from older cousins and brothers it was hardly pleasantville. Still yes mam,no sir, please and thank you was something I passed on to my 5 kids as well as a work ethic.
     
    Tim,
    #31
  13. 2007/03/30
    Dytrog

    Dytrog Inactive

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    read posts again. i'm just remembering. not complaining about progress. i like my comp. air conditioners and too many other things to list. I could not list them if i tried they are just part of life that we or "I' got use to and enjoy. earlier in this topic was school and home spankings. when i turned 13 my dad said i was then to old to spank. i got in trouble at school for fighting. the principal called my dad and told him he was going to do so. my dad said if you spank him i will be there to do the same to you. i rec'd no spanking. i got suspended for 2 wk's. when i got home my dad only asked why did i fight and did i win. he put me to work with him for 2 wk's and paid me! i will remember the good old day's and look forward to day's to come "i hope" :D
     
  14. 2007/03/30
    LewstherinII

    LewstherinII Inactive

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    Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Just saying :p
     
  15. 2007/03/30
    DiggerP

    DiggerP Inactive

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    Wow,great thread !
    I know this is predominantly an American experience,but thought it might be interesting to hear from someone from the other side of "the pond" :)
    Early 40's ,Europe (Holland) ,WWII, during one of the most atrocious times
    in history for Europe and the world.

    Early days were awful,lack of everything,but mostly lack of food.
    Post war, things were still very tight.
    No money for a bike?No problem.My buddy nextdoor and I made friends with the local scrapdealer.
    Helped with sorting stuff.In return we collected bike parts,enough to build 2 bikes.
    The only thing we bought were new ballbearings.

    I also remmber the horse-drawn carts for home delivery of everything -bread,milk,fish,coal,vegetables and other groceries.
    It was great to hitch a ride on the back of the cart.Later it was on the back of the trucks.

    Pocket money was earned,not given.I made the most money collecting scrap
    and newspapers and selling it to my scrapdealer friend :)
    Yes,even then ,recycling was already a big deal.

    At 10, I build my first radio,again with parts from my trusted source :)

    There was very little crime.Go gangs.Everybody left their doors open.
    Burglary and vandalism were pretty well unheard of.

    As to family life:There are a lot of similarities with my American counterparts.
    Respect for elders was a given.Also,every one had a task and there was no slacking.Mine was cutting and splitting firewood.Painting and some small carpentry work,which I learned from my grandmother's neighbour who had a boatyard.
    families were also more coherent.Everybody helped eachother out during some hard times.

    I believe that those times made us stronger,more resourceful and self-reliant.
    There wasn't the constant exhibit of "entitlement" that you often see these days.
    A handshake was a contract and a man's word was a solid promise.

    There is no doubt in my mind that even today,the less advantaged people can
    well identify with some of the things I'm describing.

    But like we all said,we survived it :)
     
  16. 2007/03/31
    Tim

    Tim Inactive

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    reread post

    Guess I was just raised in a more polite society( even though we were poor) and the usual rudeness that most people apply these days does insult ones senseabilitys. Ronnie Milsaps song " lost in the Fiftys Again" pretty much says it. I too look forward to days to come.
     
    Tim,
    #35
  17. 2007/03/31
    bobmc32

    bobmc32 Well-Known Member

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    DiggerP - Good post! Kind of brought me up short or at least reminded me that it is all relative because no matter how little we had over here I am sure it was double (or more) difficult over there after the war. I was stationed in England in the 60s and they were still recovering.
     
  18. 2007/03/31
    DiggerP

    DiggerP Inactive

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    bobmc32 - Thanks.

    But despite the more difficult circumstances,we didn't have any less fun.
    A lot of it was self created and more productive.
    No hanging around in malls or spending hours watching TV.
    I had a good mentor in the guy at the boatyard.
    Learning how to do things at that age has helped me for the rest of my life.
    This guy was amazing.At age 76 he would still "fly" up a ladder and repair a chimney.No small feat on the steeply pitched roofs.(Me in tow :) )

    This thread caught me at a time where I was already reminiscing about this,
    having just received an invitation to my highschool reunion.

    I know the "famous" people write their biographies,but I bet you all of us could (and maybe should) write our own.
    There is one heck of a lot of history there.
     

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