Decade - 1950s

When WWII was over (after all the rationing of food, clothing, and household goods) there were more jobs, and society as a whole could buy almost anything. Houses were cheaper, cars, electrical appliances, etc. Everyone basically went on a binge of buying. The 1950s was the last age of innocence. Family's sat together to eat dinner and there was peace and harmony for most families. Kids went to church, said prayer and the National Anthem in school. Mom's stayed home to look after the kids, and dad went to work. You had homework and chores to do and if you disrespected a teacher or an adult neighbor (always called them Mr. or Mrs.) you were grounded or severely punished. Spankings were dealt out and it never hurt one of us kids. There was zero tolerance for misbehaving.

Sundays were special. Some people went to church. Sundays were for mowing the lawn and talking to your neighbors (everyone knew everyone else back then.) Kids were safe and could walk the streets in the evening without fear of being accosted or abducted. Parents didn't have to worry about their children's safety as much as they do today. When teens needed money the girls would volunteer as Candy Stripper's and paid a small wage, or you babysat. Boys worked in burger joints or gas stations. Parents didn't give their kids everything they wanted and the teens had to work for extra money they wanted. More boys went to college whereas most girls weren't considered college material and would only get married and have children. They had few choices with the exception of being a teacher, nurse, stenographer, or a stewardess.

Kids didn't sit in front of the TV (you got 1 - 2 hours of TV if lucky) and there was no computers back then and were either outside playing (using their imagination) or were out with their groups of friends hanging out at their favorite cafe. There were "hot rods" and "jalopies" and the kids met at the drive-in restaurants where guys would scream around and around showing off their new re-built car. They popped clutches and did "wheelies" or "donuts" or picked out some other guy with a hot car to drag race to gain attention. There was cruising strips to see if they could pick up girls and there was usually 4 guys to a car and you could bet there was a case of beer! Few wanted new cars and most young guys loved to "cut and chop" old cars and would paint them cool colors (metallic) usually with lightening bolds or other designs on the side of their car. Cars that were in this condition were called simply, "cherry!" Kids did get into a bit of trouble drag-racing the streets so they would build drag strips outside of the city limits and the races began. Kids also got into drinking beer (making complete fools of themselves) but not as often as the kids do today. They were few drugs around during this time and it was either cigarettes or alcohol. Kids back then were lucky to get away on a camping trip and it never entered their minds to go on trips to other countries (only a few did). Teens couldn't afford and parents sure couldn't. Kids got along well in groups and the peer pressure wasn't so great as today. The right labeled clothes weren't even thought about. There was fashion of course. Guys wore their jeans with cuffs rolled up (often used as ashtrays) and T-shirts with one short-sleeve rolled up for their cigarettes, and some of the "greasers" (guys with greasy hair and duck tails) would have a cigarette folded inside the tip of their ear. Girls work sweaters with scarves around their necks, long pencil-lined skirts with a slit up the side (poodle skirts as well) and usually pony tails or beehive hair-dos. They wore bobby socks with saddle shoes or "white bucks." You were either "cool" or "square."