Community Chat

[hckynutjohn]

My favorites.  1955-1956 when I quit high school. Joining the United States Army. Auto Racing/lot's of parties with music lyrics you could understand. Not feeling the need to have anything other than my body and physical skills to protect myself and my property.

[redwingsgal]

Summers meant we left the house early in the morning and played outside all day!  All the neighbors knew each other and kept an eye on kids when we were in their yards.  Black and white tv with only the network channels, growing up in Detroit area we also got a Canadian station!  Going "up north" to a lake every summer!! And some summers even to the UP!!  (Upper Peninsula to those of you non-Michiganders)

I had the greatest childhood and I would go back in a heartbeat, but only if it was the 60s again, would NOT want to be a kid now!!!

[beckyb1012]

Camping, swimming, and skiing almost every week-end with my Mom and siblings at the lake named after our hometown.  If we did not camp we still spent all day on Saturdays there in the summer months then home to a television of westerns and family variety shows which were not considered old.

[akaburtonfan]

Being able to go outside and wander around the neighborhood and no one worried about it. We'd ride our bikes to the party store that was a couple of miles up the road to get candy or pop. We just had to be back by 5:30 for dinner and then again back home before dark. 

[Montana]

I miss the feeling of being safe when out and about. When I was growing up there was no debate about "free-range" children because all kids were able to roam freely. No one was afraid of being accosted or abducted. I remember walking many blocks away from home on Halloween nights with friends - no parents needed.

There is even a huge difference in the neighborhood where I live now. I like to walk, and when I first moved here, I would often stroll to the nearby shopping center after dark. Or drive to the 24-hr supermarket to do some late-night grocery shopping. Now I wouldn't dream of it. A few years ago, just a short block from my house, there was an attempted robbery at gunpoint of city workers. I was almost robbed myself, early one morning at a subway station.

So having experienced it, I really miss the freedom to come and go as I please, when I please.

[redwingsgal]

akaburtonfan,

You MUST be from Michigan!!!  You used the terms "party store" and "pop" !!!  

I grew up in metro Detroit!!

[muttmom]

I remember enjoying long, hot summer days with my friends.  In the morning we went to the town recreational program.  I loved arts and crafts.  In the afternoon we swam at the community pool.  After dinner was family time.  We had a screened in porch and sometimes we were allowed to sleep there.

Going to an old fashion amusement park was a special treat. There were always local carnivals and fairs but none of them had real roller coasters.

I remember getting excited about going back to school after Labor Day.

[Sunnyfield]

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@Greenhouse wrote:

Hands down....Palisades Amusement Park....swimming in the  "worlds largest outdoor saltwater swimming pool" with waves and sand....couldn't wait until spring when it opened and heard the famous jingle on the radio....riding the wooden roller coaster, The Fun House with the air holes, the fries with vinegar and the live Murray The K shows  as you sang atop the Ferris Wheel.  We would get coupons from the old match covers which admitted you for a low price with rides..... I was there twice a week, a 2 bus trip to get there..I was heartbroken when it closed and I felt so sad and that my world had changed forever.  Even when Great Adventure opened, it was bigger, better in every way but not for me...Palisades Park had so many memories for me and many from my part of the world.  Even the story of the owner was special; they say he left a hole in the fence in the back for kids who couldn't pay....he wasn't about money and he loved kids...his park was clean and safe...

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Ah yes - Palisades Park!! Remember it well...have you read the book entitled Palisades Park???  do you remember the ride called "Wild Mouse"???  Freddy Cannon's hit song???

[mysterylady]

The thing that immediately comes to mind is the simplicity of life. Closets were small because few people had enormous wardrobes. A few outfits for school, a few for church and some play clothes. I think I may have had less than 6 pair of shoes. But that was all ok since most of the others in my town were in the same boat. In high school when I wanted something new to wear, I usually made it myself. We want more than we need. Homes are filled with the "I wants" and not the "I need."

I was 11 years old when we finally got a black and white tv. There wasn't much to do in my town but we were creative and found things to do. (remember making my own paper dolls from the outdated catalog.) We actually had real conversations. Many youth today don't have much to say except when they want something from the store.

[beckyb1012]

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@mysterylady wrote:

The thing that immediately comes to mind is the simplicity of life. Closets were small because few people had enormous wardrobes. A few outfits for school, a few for church and some play clothes. I think I may have had less than 6 pair of shoes. But that was all ok since most of the others in my town were in the same boat. In high school when I wanted something new to wear, I usually made it myself. We want more than we need. Homes are filled with the "I wants" and not the "I need."

I was 11 years old when we finally got a black and white tv. There wasn't much to do in my town but we were creative and found things to do. (remember making my own paper dolls from the outdated catalog.) We actually had real conversations. Many youth today don't have much to say except when they want something from the store.

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Oh how I loved making mud pies!!