Children of the 50s and 60s unite!

Wayco Wayne_2

I remember walking to town from our house on the outskirts of Randolph MAss. to buy wax lips or teeth and then wearing them home and eventually chewing them into a ball of tasteless bleah. Good times. My friends and I would play army. We had army helmets and plastic guns. One of the guys even had a spring loaded bazooka. Wow! It would shoot a plastic bazooka shell about 10 feet. Very impressive. If we got "killed" playing army we had to run into the back yard and kick the trash can before we could re-enter the fray. That was our version of kicking the bucket. :) When our parents gave us chemistry kits so we could grow up and become scientists, we learned how to make gunpowder and made our own firecrackers. I don't think that's what our parents had in mind. As the saying goes, "Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you lost till it's gone." We've tried to make life better and succeeded in losing our freedom of choice, and our contact with reason, responsibilty, and other people. Our kids don't need someone to play with, they have their computers. I think this loss of contact and community lets a lot of negative things exist that couldnt stand in the light of scrutiny. It's a hard time to grow up in these days. WW

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John R. Hall

Better times then or now?

Some of you 'old timers' might enjoy my latest blog. Let me know what you think. (Titled 08/10/08)

http://www.ideaperson.net/webapp/GetPage?pid=222

Leo_13

It stirs memories

In a small town in Mass life was very similar. Today the garage at my house was the Mom & Pop Market from my childhood. I do remember back then people talking how things were more expensive and smaller than when they were kids. John, I think you and I are close in age. I was born in 53.

Leo

Steve Ebels_3

I remember

Strolling through town at the ripe old age of 13 or 14 with a loaded 12 gauge looking for skunks on many summer evenings. It was just something to do. If the neighbors were out on the porch or lawn, my brothers and I would stop and ask if they had seen any. No one thought anything of it. It was a perfectly normal thing to do. If the local constabulary happened to be cruising through he would stop and ask how hunting was going, remind us not to shoot in the direction of houses and wish us happy hunting. Now however, the ATF, HomeLand Security, cops of all types would be called and you would go directly to jail. In addition, the DNR would confiscate your weapon and fine you for hunting out of season and without a license.

I liked it better then. People understood what the words risk and responsibility meant.

John R. Hall

Yup

1953, son of a career Ford engineer who didn't pass ANY of his mechanical aptitude on to me. That's why I am a writer.

ALH_4

Generations...

Each generation has their effect on society. The society that existed during the 50's and 60's was created by those children's parents and grandparents. The society that exists now was created by the children of the 50's and 60's. This election cycle is the first where we have what I consider to be a post-baby-boomer presidential candidate, though some count the baby boom as going through 1964 or beyond. I am hopeful that my generation (the children of the 70's and 80's) can unite to begin fixing the damage caused by the egocentrism and hedonism of the children of the 50's and 60's. That is why "change" is the word of the day. It's not just a change from the current administration or the war in Iraq. It's the shift to a new generation.

That said, there have been times that I have thought that the 50's and 60's would have been a great time to grow up. From what I know of it, I think the early to mid 20th century was an amazing time to be alive. Today we invent a new internet search engine or a slightly more efficient car. Back then they invented the television, movies, and the Model T. I fail to see how the new search engine can be as exciting.

Maine/Baltimore Doug_3

Oh there is no doubt

It was then. I didn't have to take FloMax

Keith_8

Nostalgia

Nostalgia is an interesting thought process. I read an article this weekend about resturants that are popping up in Russia.

Apparently Russian consumers want a trip down memory lane and the resturant industry has picked up on the demand for bland food, grim decore and ghastly sweet wine. The article goes on to state that the patrons don't wish to return to the horrors of the Iron Curtain only to remanice about how things used to be. After all it's their youth and memories, why not?

My point is that although we all complain about how tough life is and the stress of our existances I don't see any big movement to make our lives simplier.

We complain that our kids are spoiled and don't know the meaning of sacrifice or delayed gratification and yet we can't wait to buy them things our parents would never dream of buying us.

Nothing wrong with looking back on yester year but sometimes I think we only remember the good things about those day's and the bad things about our today's.

The reality is we live in exiciting times for those that see the opportunity. We have never had so many choices. Information is available to us now that we never were exposed to before.

My lifestyle is better than my parents. My children's lifestyle is better than mine growing up. What's the matter with that?

Keith