The Fabled 50's

Every once in a while a friend or relative sends me an email, usually cleverly written with beautiful illustrations and ingenious graphics, about the utopian existence we all experienced living in the U.S.A. during post-WWII and pre-Vietnam (roughly late 40’s through early 60’s) years. Who wouldn’t want to go back to that innocent time?

I, for one, would not. While the simplicity and naivety of that time looks enviable from a distance, there are too many moments I never want to see again.

Polio: From 1950 to 1959, 257,455 cases of polio were reported, mostly in children; 11,957 died of it. Thank God, because of the polio vaccines, that scourge no longer threatens the lives of our children.

Discrimination: In the 1950s, racism was deeply institutionalized. 50% of black families lived below the poverty line; migrant workers suffered appalling working and living conditions; people of color were not permitted to take part in the American dream. Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it was not illegal to discriminate based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender…. Again, thank God we have better laws now, even if it’s still difficult to enforce them upon the hearts of all people.

Domestic Violence: Wife-beating was not really considered a crime. Many psychologists explained that battered wives were masochists who provoked their husbands into beating them. A husband raping his wife was not a crime at all, but a sign that the woman was deficient in fulfilling her marital obligations. The prevailing sentiment was that women were like children who needed to be controlled and protected.

And then, there were the every day irritants:
· Panty girdles - every female over the age of 16 wore them . . .with slacks, dresses, etc! Ugh!
· Nylon hose with seams that never stayed straight and ran the first time worn
· Pancake-like make-up
· Dampening and starching clothing in order to iron everything
· No paid personal time or sick leave and few positions offering paid vacations
· Corporal punishment in the school system; anyone could strike a child as a discipline measure and most parents approved

Oh, gosh, I could go on and on, but I’m starting to scare myself.

Still, we can take ourselves back to that time by embracing some of the good things of the 50’s - if we choose. Why not try to have dinners with the whole family together? Monitor the TV kids watch, have Family Game Night, take away the play stations and computers and instead teach kids the fun of group games and physical exercise. Get to know our neighbors better and, maybe, plan social time together. Save money and raise a vegetable garden. Buy a few chickens for eggs and later have a nice chicken dinner with that old hen. Make cookies for your children and grandchildren – and the kids down the street. Cook a meal for the old couple next door or offer a ride to the doctor’s office. Stop worrying so much about what your house looks like and just open your door to people who need you. Caring for one another, showing courtesy to each other, teaching our children to respect the differences in themselves and in others. Now, more than ever, that can be what America is all about.