Today is my birthday. As I look forward to the coming year I realize that my next birthday is the last one before a huge and inevitable milepost. I started thinking about all the changes that I have seen over my lifetime thus far and figured it would be a good idea to write down my memories before they fade as perhaps many have already. So here they are in no order really, just what comes to mind.
I remember when:
- There were only full service gas stations that offered “Ethyl” or the other. When I was little, I thought somehow that “Ethyl” from I Love Lucy was involved. The gas station attendant always washed the windshield, and checked the oil and tires.
- Black and white television sets were the only choice and required rabbit ears.
- There were no remote controls. If you wanted to change the channel, you had to get up to do so.
- There were three television stations. They signed off at midnight (with the Star Spangled Banner) followed by a station “off the air” image and tone.
On television shows there were absolutely no curse words. - The Flintstones was a primetime television show on Friday nights.
- When I was very little, I heard “Gunsmoke” on the radio.
- The space program was so important that we watched rocket launches at school on live TV.
- The Cuban Missile crisis sobered the classroom and required us to practice drills in case of nuclear attack. Of course we now know that those “duck and cover” practices would have been futile. I remember a favorite undergrad professor of mine had the greatest sign in his office “In case of nuclear attack, duck and kiss your ass goodbye.”
- Our neighbors had a bomb shelter installed in their back acreage. It was a giant metal cylinder with bunk beds and room for food and water supply. It also had electricity and most importantly air filters to “filter” out the nuclear fallout. However, its main purpose was to provide a wonderful playground for the neighborhood children as well as serve as an awesome tornado shelter. I wonder if the people living there now even know it’s there?
- There were three movie theatres in town. They only showed one movie each but before each movie there would be a news reel, a cartoon and then the movie.
One of the movie theatres showed the Saturday kid matinee. That was a great experience. - Polio was a very real threat. My brother and I could not go to the local swimming pool because of it.
- I went to school with children who had the after effects of polio. I saw children in iron lungs. It was horrifying to me as a child to think that they would be there for the rest of their lives. I never could figure out how those worked. Guess I should look it up.
- Penicillin could only be administered through a shot. It was a stellar day for me when I was able to take penicillin orally.
- Smallpox vaccines used to be jabbed in the arm with a needle type device. I hated that. But what a great thing indeed when I was able to get the vaccine on a sugar cube.
- We used to dress up to go anywhere outside of the house (except for sporting events, etc). If we were going out to eat, we dressed up. If we were going shopping, we dressed up. We dressed up when taking an airplane or a train.
- Propeller planes were the only choice. I took a Trans Texas Airways DC3 somewhere to a swim meet. It was not pressurized and had curtains on the windows. It stopped at almost every town on the way. TTA was affectionately called “Tree Top Airways.”
- Beef was range-raised, no hormones, no antibiotics. There were no feedlots early on. The taste was so much better then.
- We could run wild in the neighborhood and beyond with no fear. Neighbors looked after each other.
- Family dogs could roam the neighborhood without being picked up by the dog pound. Neighbors recognized them as “local” dogs just as well as they did the children.
- Almost everyone in the neighborhood had a horse. We kids would saddle up and be gone for most of the day. Those horses were great babysitters.
- The local newscast would show films from Viet Nam. I grew up watching those. They usually gave the death count.
- B52s from the local airbase would make a slow bank over our house. Some were camo-painted.
- Former classmates of mine from high school lost their lives in Viet Nam.
- Segregation was the norm. There were actually areas in my city that were named after the description of the inhabitants’ race or ethnicity.
- The first Pizza Hut and Taco Bell came to town.
- Family owned drugstores, hardware stores and department stores were the only options. Now we have chain stores, big box stores.
- Ice trays were how we made ice at home.
- The first microwave ovens were available.
- The exotic and quite revolutionary clothing material Ban-Lon came on the scene. "No more ironing" was its claim to fame.
- The British Invasion. The Kinks were my early favorites. Of course my favorite group was “The Beatles”. I think my Mom bought me their first 45 which was a surprise. I played it on my portable record player. My Granny heard it and thought they were black people singing.
- I watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show with my Granny.
- Cars were giant land yachts that probably got around 5 miles to the gallon.
- The Cadillacs with their huge fins and Easter egg colors were sights to behold.
- Ladies dyed their hair those same Easter egg colors. Some had Poodles that they did the same thing to so they matched.
- There were no area or zip codes.
- Telephone numbers had a prefix that was a name. One of our number's prefix was “Gypsy”
- You had to dial the operator to make a long distance call. Those calls were very expensive so we only made these calls for special occasions or emergencies.
- Slide rules were the computers/calculators.
- Life before GUIs. All we had was a blinking comment line, DOS and a green screen.
- If you had a phone in your car, you were rich.
- I thought that elected officials were smart and to be trusted. Not the clowns that they portray today.
- We had Christmas and Easter. Not “Winter whatever” and “Spring whatever”.
I’m sure that there are many other things that have changed, but this list is getting very long. I have heard people say that the past was a gentler, easier time to live. I counter that it wasn’t, it’s the same. it’s all relative to the moment. Humans experience it and cope.
Merry Christmas to you all and have a very good New Year full of future memories.
Laura
