Growing Up in the 60's

Growing up in today's society seems so much different than it did 40+ years ago. The main difference between yesterday and today is definitely technology. There were no home computers in the 60's, no satellite television, no Wii, no cell phones, no Facebook, no email, no Twitter, no 24-hour news, etc. I can remember the days when TV went off the air at midnight and the station played "The Star Spangled Banner" at the end of the viewing day. Guess what? We actually had to interact with each other, instead of our video games and electronic gadgets.

I am the one in the middle, 1968.

It was a different world, a simpler world.

Remember hearing the Ice Cream truck come down the street and running outside just in the nick of time?

Remember those Toni home permanents and pink curlers that your Mom used to put in your hair? My hair was straight as straw and the home perms never lasted more than a few weeks.

Remember watching Saturday morning cartoons and eating Captain Crunch cereal? I loved watching the Flintstones and the Jetsons. And don't forget Captain Kangaroo.

Remember Moon Pies and ice cold bottles of Coca Cola that you bought at the corner grocery store, straight out of the cooler? We would return the glass bottles for a refund.

Remember having to share a room with a younger sister?

Remember watching The Ed Sullivan Show, Wonderful World of Disney and Mutual of Omaha's, Wild Kingdom? And of course, all the classic comedies, such as Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc.

Remember the plain, black rotary telephone? We didn't even have a phone until the late 60's. I remember when the Princess phone became popular, in pastel colors. It was all the rage at the time.

Remember road trips and stopping at Stuckey's for souvenirs and a bite to eat, before the fast food chains and the Interstate highways took over?

Remember playing jacks and marbles in the dirt outside and drinking gallons of Kool-Aid in the summertime?

Remember shopping for new school clothes in August, which meant dresses for the girls, and a brand new pair of saddle shoes?

Remember the boxes of laundry detergent that came with a towel inside? And Mama hanging out the clothes to dry? And S&H green stamps that could be redeemed for all kinds of cool stuff?

Remember actually playing outside with the neighborhood kids?

The Front Porch

I love my front porch. When we bought the house it didn't have a railing, so my husband and I built one. We did a pretty good job, considering that neither one of us had carpentry skills. That railing has lasted almost 20 years.

The porch has had its moments through the years.

I would sit on the porch when the children were little and watch the yellow school bus come around the corner and drop them off at the end of the driveway.

I would drink my morning coffee on the front porch on a nice day and read the newspaper while listening to the birds sing.

I would bring a book out on the front porch to read when I needed a quiet moment.

The front porch served as a "Smoking Room" for my friends and relatives who smoked.

The front porch was a good place to have a chat with a friend or neighbor who stopped by.

Now, the grandchildren draw all over the porch with their chalk. I let them draw all over the driveway, too.

I was off today, so I scrubbed the front porch. I poured a bucket of sudsy water, equipped myself with cleaning rags and put on my rubber gloves. First, I cleaned the windows and then wiped down the railing and porch furniture. At last, I turned on the hose at full-blast and sprayed away the winter's dust and dirt.

There is nothing like a clean, front porch.