Every once in a while, something sends me down memory lane. The other evening while sitting on the porch with my wife, she mentioned, “remember when, during the late news, a public service announcement would say, it’s after 10:00 pm, parents, do you know where your children are?” We both laughed and bantered back and forth a bit about curfews, being required to be home when the streetlights came on, cartoons on Saturday mornings, only three or four channels on the TV, etc.
We both grew-up in the 60s and 70s with Walter Cronkite, the Vietnam War on the news, and the Apollo space program with launch broadcasts played on a television in the classroom (if we were in school). School days began with announcements over the public address system preceeded by the Pledge of Allegiance (we were required to stand, facing the flag). With our kids fully grown and out of school, I’m not sure how the day starts but my guess is that it is quite different from my school days.
Cell phones, at least my first, was just that – a cellular phone. It sort of worked and it came in a bag. I missed most social media as I was way out of school by the time Facebook started. Heck, I grew up before Sesame Street, so my kids were my reference for Elmo, Big Bird and my favorite, The Count! Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers, and Romper Room were my generation.
I know I could fill page after page with memories so for this post, I chose a select few (favorites) from my youth/teen years. Feel free to comment to this post and share yours. Happy Hump Day!
- Early morning TV started with the Star Spangled Banner followed by the farm report.
- Newspapers were big (not puny like now) and in my town growing up, there were two – morning and evening.
- TV ended at midnight, especially during the week.
- Horror movies were cool and not gory.
- Black and white television was common. We did not have a color TV set until I was in junior high (now middle school).
- Most of my block did not have air conditioning and when we got it, it was a window unit in my parent’s bedroom.
- Tang was cool.
- TV dinners, Swanson, were a treat.
- The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday evenings was a must.
- Dad controlled what was on the television in the evening.
- Our TV got three channels and a PBS channel, sort of. CBS, ABC, and NBC were pretty good with the rabbit ears antenna that dad had me manipulate while he tried to control the wavy picture with the tuning knobs.
- Vertical and horizontal controls were a thing and so was the tube tester at the hardware store.
- Penny candy was just that, candy that cost a penny.
- AM radio ruled.
- Dr. Cadaverino was a great show.
- Windshield washes came with a tank of gas as did an oil level check and S&H Green Stamps.
- Grocery delivery was free and usually, by a neighborhood kid.
- Baseball games were rarely televised (radio), and boxing matches were on Friday nights.
- Drive-ins had car hops.
- Variety shows were big on TV. Lots of celebrities had their own shows like Dean Martin, Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher, (the) Captain and Tenille.
- Christmas specials were big on TV like Bob Hope from Vietnam, Bing Crosby’s Christmas Show, Perry Como, Andy Williams, etc.
- An ice cream truck in your neighborhood was awesome on a summer day.
- Outside was where we primarily played, all seasons.
- Dinner was with family and always began with a prayer.
- If we went out to dinner (rare), at a nicer restaurant, we dressed-up in nice clothes.
- Woolworth’s and other department stores had lunch counters, and good food!
- Dime stores were a big thing.
- Most kids took their lunch to school and lunch boxes were a big thing, especially cool ones with GI Joe or Johnny Quest.
- Bugs Bunny was the best cartoon or anything else from Warner Brothers (loved Foghorn Leghorn).
- When I went to a Braves game with my grandpa, we scored the game.
- Most moms stayed at home and grandparents, at least where I grew up, lived close by.
- Grocery stores were family owned primarily and bakeries were plentiful.
- I still remember electric buses and street/trolley cars!