1950's, a great time to grow up?

[Paxaeon]

`
Saudade is a Portuguese or Galician word that has no direct translation in English. It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing may never return.

Longing for the good old days that never were and a past never existed. No one talks about the Korean War and the looming cold war with the Iron Curtain countries. It was still a white mans world for sure.

 

[spud_meister]

My mum grew up in the 50's. Her parents separated when she was an infant, she grew up fairly well until her mother lost their farm and they had to move into government housing. She dropped out of school at 14 and moved to a city before she was 20. :shrug:

 

[it's just me]

`
Saudade is a Portuguese or Galician word that has no direct translation in English. It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing may never return.

Longing for the good old days that never were and a past never existed. No one talks about the Korean War and the looming cold war with the Iron Curtain countries. It was still a white mans world for sure.

I am going to go out on a limb and say you weren't a part of it and that you are just parroting what some government school told you.

I hate to disappoint you (well, not really) but everything these people have said is true. Naturally, the political left wants people to believe there is nothing better and nothing to return to because they want to make sure there will never be anything like American pride and exceptionalism ever again.

 

[Paxaeon]

I am going to go out on a limb and say you weren't a part of it and that you are just parroting what some government school told you. I hate to disappoint you (well, not really) but everything these people have said is true. Naturally, the political left wants people to believe there is nothing better and nothing to return to because they want to make sure there will never be anything like American pride and exceptionalism ever again.

`
Yeah, you'd be going out on a limb and not knowing all the facts, coming out with some political dogma I reject out of hand.

There's a word for people like me: Sardonic or excessively cynical. Now, you are free to continue to believe in whatever you want. I however, sorry to say, am too much of a pragmatist.
`

 

[it's just me]

`
Yeah, you'd be going out on a limb and not knowing all the facts, coming out with some political dogma I reject out of hand.

There's a word for people like me: Sardonic or excessively cynical. Now, you are free to continue to believe in whatever you want. I however, sorry to say, am too much of a pragmatist.
`

Actually, the dead giveaway is that you don't look like one of the 60 and over crowd. And I have heard the "50's were a fairy tale" song and dance before, usually from the people I have already described.

You can be as cynical as you want to be, I am, too, but that doesn't change the reality. It really happened.

 

[nota bene]

Yeah-hhh, I agree. It appears that those born after the early 60s have a damned skewed awareness of times prior. They apparently believe the country overall was embroiled in social tumult and violence; south of the Mason-Dixon Line, from sea to shining sea, in it's entirety was still slavery, whips, and chains. Was it some idealist form of social perfection? Oh, Hell no but for the majority daily life was far from their imaginings. ( as an aside, I have 10 cents that says most are not aware of that geographical location if they know of it at all)

These young'uns have been indoctrinated with newsreel replays of Arkansas of 1957 and Mississippi of 1963 and they have decided those incidents were indicative of the entire country, with accented emphasis on South of The Mason-Dixon.

I was reared (mostly) on the outskirts of the south Florida wilds near the Everglades (what was at the time and is no more). I have stories of the times but most younger folk don't want to hear them because those stories are too different from what they have been told by far less experienced and truly knowledgeable teachers. Some postings within this thread are perfect exhibitions.

It was different than now, socially, culturally, and economically ..... in good and not good ways.... and the young'uns can't conceive the difference.

Today's socio-political arrogance will not alter my factual memories.

And that's the way it was........... ( ha! Edward R. Murrow, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, and Walter Cronkite just stampede through my mind )

Ahhhhh well-lllllll, c'est la vie

C'mon baby,let's do the twist.. then we'll just "stroll" across the floor and out the door.

Have a wonderful day AO

:mrgreen:

eace

Thom Paine

Hmmmm, yes, "indoctrination."

 

[Thom Paine]

`

There's a word for people like me: Sardonic or excessively cynical. ...........
`

sar·don·ic
[sahr-don-ik]
adjective
bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering:
Synonyms
biting, mordant, contemptuous.
dictionary.com

Yeah that fits along with other interesting adjectives to describe youthful "I know it all because it's what I was told to believe" arrogance.

A truly sad circumstance for youngsters of today..

There are none so blind........

Thom Paine

 

[Paxaeon]

Actually, the dead giveaway is that you don't look like one of the 60 and over crowd. And I have heard the "50's were a fairy tale" song and dance before, usually from the people I have already described. You can be as cynical as you want to be, I am, too, but that doesn't change the reality. It really happened.

`
As you wish.
`
`

 

[Thom Paine]

Hmmmm, yes, "indoctrination."

In this thread it is interesting to note: those with the least awareness are the most vociferous in their denigrations of those with real life experiences ...
Clueless and inexperienced youth attempting to overpower facts with bluster.

That's entertainment; humor at it's finest.

Have a terrific day NB

Thom Paine

 

[Thom Paine]

It would be nice if some posters would extend courtesy and initiate another thread to share their derision; then allowing an interesting friendly intelligent discourse to take place.

Hmmm, maybe this could be moved to the Tavern....

:mrgreen: eace

Thom Paine

 

[AlbqOwl]

`
Saudade is a Portuguese or Galician word that has no direct translation in English. It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing may never return.

Longing for the good old days that never were and a past never existed. No one talks about the Korean War and the looming cold war with the Iron Curtain countries. It was still a white mans world for sure.

Again I think you can't imagine how it was. The 50's generation was as involved and aware of Korea as those in the 60's and early 70's were aware of Vietnam or those in this century were aware of Afghanistan and Iraq. We had friends, neighbors, and relatives who were in WWII and Korea. And the perceived dangers of nuclear warfare were not only real but we actually had duck and cover drills. I was a member of the Junior Civil Air Patrol that helped monitor the skies for 'enemy aircraft' that might be approaching sensitive sites.

As for it being a 'white man's world', I suppose on some level it was but talking with black friends from my hometown that I went through school and college with and kept in touch later, they also remember our growing up years fondly despite segregation being a part of it. They had none of the bitter resentment and anger and hatred that became so evident among militant blacks of later generations, and most think those militants have not helped but rather hindered the progress of black people in this country.

The fact is that the 60's were not all riots and demonstrations as they are often presented in news 'memory'. The 1970's and 80's and 90's were not all Crips and Bloods and gang wars. Most people of every generation have just lived their lives apart from and largely unaffected by the uglier side that has existed in every generation.

You can trust what those of us who lived the 50's tell about them.

 

[Dittohead not!]

I also grew up in '50s California, where there never was segregation. The anti integration demonstrations of the '60s was just something on the evening news (black and white, one station, or the News of the World before the main feature at the movie theater). It didn't seem real to us.

Meanwhile, we had no drugs, no gangs, no absurd zero tolerance policies at school. It really wasn't so bad.

 

[AlbqOwl]

I also grew up in '50s California, where there never was segregation. The anti integration demonstrations of the '60s was just something on the evening news (black and white, one station, or the News of the World before the main feature at the movie theater). It didn't seem real to us.

Meanwhile, we had no drugs, no gangs, no absurd zero tolerance policies at school. It really wasn't so bad.

I was in the southwest and there was still segregation, but not of an angry, hateful type. Pretty much all, black and white, just accepted it as normal and we all went about our business until the community itself just seemed to make it go away--voluntarily desegregating the schools, etc. I remember as a kid being so jealous of the black folks who got to sit in the balcony at the movie theater. I wanted to sit up there. And immediately, when the segregation policy ended (again voluntarily), a lot of us white kids were up there. I don't know if the black kids were resentful of having to share the balcony with us, but there was never anything said that I knew of and it all seemed very friendly and normal.

And yeah, we didn't know anything about drugs and despite teachers and kids bringing their hunting rifles (and hunting knives) to school, nobody worried about anybody being threatened or intentionally harmed at school. Discipline was administered via detention or a paddled backside, but the only zero tolerance was back talking or disrespecting your teachers or the principal. School and life in general was a good place to be. A great time to be a kid.

 

[ecofarm]

I was in the southwest and there was still segregation, but not of an angry, hateful type.

Holy crap. I don't even know where to begin.

 

[Dittohead not!]

I was in the southwest and there was still segregation, but not of an angry, hateful type. Pretty much all, black and white, just accepted it as normal and we all went about our business until the community itself just seemed to make it go away--voluntarily desegregating the schools, etc. I remember as a kid being so jealous of the black folks who got to sit in the balcony at the movie theater. I wanted to sit up there. And immediately, when the segregation policy ended (again voluntarily), a lot of us white kids were up there. I don't know if the black kids were resentful of having to share the balcony with us, but there was never anything said that I knew of and it all seemed very friendly and normal.

And yeah, we didn't know anything about drugs and despite teachers and kids bringing their hunting rifles to school, nobody worried about anybody being threatened or intentionally harmed at school. Discipline was administered via detention or a paddled backside, but the only zero tolerance was back talking or disrespecting your teachers or the principal. School and life in general was a good place to be. A great time to be a kid.

If they were resentful of having to sit in the balcony, they would have been trowing gum and spilling drinks on the white folks below, wouldn't they?

Imagine having to sit in the balcony. It would be like having to sit in the front of the bus.

 

[AlbqOwl]

Holy crap. I don't even know where to begin.

Well you can begin with the concept that while we all came to realize that segregation was silly and indefensible, it was not a hateful or angry thing with us or the black people in town. It just seemed silly that the same people you shopped with, worked with, and lived in the same town with had to follow different rules because of skin color. So we did away with segregation, voluntarily, without anybody anywhere doing any demonstrating or protesting or threatening any form of violence. As a result, those black folks integrated peacefully, even lovingly, and we went on per usual. There is a lesson to be learned in this for those with eyes to see and a brain to think with.

 

[AlbqOwl]

If they were resentful of having to sit in the balcony, they would have been trowing gum and spilling drinks on the white folks below, wouldn't they?

Imagine having to sit in the balcony. It would be like having to sit in the front of the bus.

Absolutely, LOL. The balcony was the choice seats. But nevertheless imposing such rules because of skin color were silly. We all, black and white, knew it. And it was fun after we fixed it.

 

[ecofarm]

Well you can begin with the concept that while we all came to realize that segregation was silly and indefensible, it was not a hateful or angry thing with us or the black people in town.

While de-segregation may not have been hateful and angry, segregation is always such. Perhaps you simply missed a "de" before this:

there was still segregation, but not of an angry, hateful type.

 

[AlbqOwl]

While de-segregation may not have been hateful and angry, segregation is always such. Perhaps you simply missed a "de" before this:

Nope. I meant the segregation itself was not hateful or angry. The black and white folks in town got along great before and after desegregation. I think you're missing the point being made. I am NOT advocating segregation, cannot find anything about it that it is in any way defensible, and made it perfectly clear that the desegregation was a good, positive thing. What you are missing is that it was accomplished without the angry protests and demands and threats and residual resentment. Because it was done the way it was done in the spirit of the way the 50's were for most of us, it allowed for true community and a loving supportive situation for all. For those who know how to deal with racism in any other way that hatefully or via race baiting or seeing it all as something vicious, I know that is difficult to understand. But then for those who didn't experience the 50's, the 50's themselves seem to be beyond the comprehension of many.

 

[Perotista]

Nope. I meant the segregation itself was not hateful or angry. The black and white folks in town got along great before and after desegregation. I think you're missing the point being made. I am NOT advocating segregation, cannot find anything about it that it is in any way defensible, and made it perfectly clear that the desegregation was a good, positive thing. What you are missing is that it was accomplished without the angry protests and demands and threats and residual resentment. Because it was done the way it was done in the spirit of the way the 50's were for most of us, it allowed for true community and a loving supportive situation for all. For those who know how to deal with racism in any other way that hatefully or via race baiting or seeing it all as something vicious, I know that is difficult to understand. But then for those who didn't experience the 50's, the 50's themselves seem to be beyond the comprehension of many.

I would agree with that, that the 50's are beyond comprehension. Here in Georgia segregation was something the city and town folk dealt with. I was born and raised on a farm around 30 miles south of Atlanta. One the next farm over was owned by a black family, the Taylor's. My dad and old IKE Taylor were always helping each other out and when I got old enough I joined them. I never gave it a thought going to a school that was all white. It was just natural and that was the way things were. Being white never stopped me when IKE's grand kids showed up from playing with them and going hunting with them.

Now I never made it to Atlanta growing up until I was drafted into the Army. When we went shopping in Town, McDonough, we shopped in the white section and the Taylors in the black section of town. Everything was mom and pop back in them days. But again that was all normal, I don't think any of us every thought to ask why. I mean me or the Taylor's grand kids.

 

[Gardener]

The 50s were a great time. I had people bathing me then. I ate tapioca pudding when I got sick. My best friend Lambchops kept me entertained.

What's not to like about that?

 

[AlbqOwl]

 

[Medusa]

Sure was a great time for this woman and people like her:

come onn slavery was abolished 150 years ago :roll:

 

[tres borrachos]

View attachment 67170364

That was me! Good times back then.

We only had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. And we were still damn happy!

I loved Luke Duke. Still do.

 

[AlbqOwl]

That was me! Good times back then.

We only had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. And we were still damn happy!

I loved Luke Duke. Still do.

They left out wading in the mud puddles left by the rain in dirt streets so you squished the mud between your toes.

You had a lot more channels than we did--I think we had four--and they always signed off soon after the evening news with patriotic music and planes flying followed by a test pattern for awhile and then nothing until the test pattern came back on a bit before the first broadcast of the day. One of my favorite stories was during a political campaign. One candidate had some TV time and was to be immediately followed by his opponent who was allotted the same amount of time. The first candidate, however, filled the last 5 minutes or so of his allotted time with patriotic music and planes flying. The TV audience thought the station was going off the air so a whole bunch turned off their sets and went to bed and never heard the second candidate.