Riding from Tennessee to North Carolina today, I listened to an hour of music from the 50's. When that decade started, I was 12 and when it ended, I was 21. I decided it was the best decade ever. The music was full of romance and hope, the country still had it's innocence, sort of, Ike was in the White House, we had kept the North Koreans from taking over South Korea, the middle class growth exploded, the gap between rich and poor was never as narrow, credit cards hadn't been invented so people bought things when they had the money, and you could let your kids roam around town without the fear of bad things happening. Yes, I know things were not good for certain groups, particularly African Americans in the South. But, by comparison, it was the best decade ever, and the Greatest Generation ever made it that way. What do you all think?
Jim (Obviously)

Jim, if there was someway to emphasize my agreement more than just saying so, I would.

Nick

Used to listen to the top 100 Sunday afternoons; 580 WDAE Norfolk. "Baron Bebop" was the DJ.

Took dates in our '55 Studebaker PU - such a novelty then people used to come look at the pickup...

As a younger guy here (born in the 70's) and looking back at representations of the 50's, I too have to agree. I absolutely love classic cars and own a '69 Pontiac Executive, but there are a number of 1950's and maybe early 60's cars that define "classic" even more.

Not to mention music and all the other reasons you brought up.

It seems like a simpler time, ideally placed in a period where there is just enough technology to make life easier, but not so much that people are over-aware of the things going wrong.

The problem with our Ozzie and Harriet memory is that it wasn't true for that many people. Certainly in the world arena there was massive corruption, famine, disease, rampant pollution and poverty for well over 3/4 of the globe's inhabitants. It was a time for the "haves" to wax nostalgic. It was seeding the fields of discontent for the "have nots".

OK, sorry for the wet blanket. I'm a child of the 50s (very late 50s!!), but grew up in much more tumultuous times (Vietnam, hippies, Cold War). My parents were the "Nelsons" or aspired to be. Mom was a women slave, Dad an office slave, kids were to be seen and not heard from. Yuk!!!!!!!!!!!

In the 60s we became forever changed by a thing called "Reality". Our ideal picture became stained by technological breakthroughs in media. We could no longer deny what was happening in the world around us.

I think it's great to think back on the simpler times if you were lucky enough to have them, but I beg you to see behind the curtain lest we repeat the same mistakes that had eventual and unintended consequences.

We should all have good times to remember, that would be a near perfect world.

I was born in the 1940. I loved the late 1950 great time great cars and songs on the radio. Remember the Castle drive in in Greensboro NC

Hi, Jim. I was born in 1960, so the only reference I have to the 1950's was from listening to my elders. We did that back then. My Grandfather was born in 1899 and was a wealth of knowledge; I was always interested in hearing about working for the Canadian Pacific Railway, a fireman then eventually an engineer.
In the early '60's children still listened to their elders and were mindful and had respect. It boggles my mind these days when a 10 yr old is allowed to interupt a conversation and the parents act like the kid has every right to be needy and rude.
I guess I'm an "old guy" now.

if this is the third message like this, I goofed. Twice before this I was composing and clicked somewhere accidentally and the notes disappeared.
I'll try again.
OK! OK! I was born in 1931. All 8 decades have had good times and there were bad times. The good times were appreciated and enjoyed, the bad times we coped. I can hardly recall details of most of the bad times, except for lessons learned. I am greatful for what I have and have had and I plan to enjoy life for a long time.
God is great! Beer is good. And people are crazy.
Be thankful you live in the USA!

Dick,

When they say you can't keep a good man down, they were thinking of you

One possible perspective on why we might think this way.
Year 1950 World Population 2,555,982,611
Year 2010 World Population 6,840,423,256

http://www.npg.org/facts/world_pop_year.htm

quote:

One possible perspective on why we might think this way.
Year 1950 World Population 2,555,982,611
Year 2010 World Population 6,840,423,256

It is getting a little crowded around here.
........trouble is ....some of these damn old fogies are living to long and taking up space!

Carefull there Dicky Boy, I could take umbrage with that kind of talk..................

Those population figures are amazing. Never saw them before.

Every age, generation, time has its 'reality'. For some it happened long before the 60's. Just ask an Army Air Corps B-17 crewman flying over Nazi Germany, or a GI landing on Normandy, or a Marine landing on Iwo Jima, or a sailor on the Arizona on 12/7/41.
I loved the 50s. As well as the 30s, 40s, 60s, etc.
Tim hit on it. This would be a great place if it weren't for all the people...
Still...the 50s were great!
Live life

quote:

Carefull there Dicky Boy, I could take umbrage with that kind of talk..................

sorry Carl, I didn't mean fogies, I meant geezers! Herb Johns hit the nail on the head.