American Graffitti ( Archived) (13)

I am a curious sole. This is directed to the "older" ones here from other countries. What was life like for you in the 50's & 60's, you as teens or just growing older.

For me, it was rock n roll music, sock hops, hot rods. "Cruising" on Friday & Saturday nights after school sports or other activities. Sometimes in the woods hunting or at a lake fishing and then there was "racing season", May thru September where I am from.

My step dad was a pit crew member for an Indy Car team. Mom raised me on the dirt tracks around the Midwestern states. Every weekend (almost) during the summer we were at one race track or another.

1959 came the U.S.Army, jump school, the 101st Airborne Division, Ranger training and all that went with it.

"TO ME", life was slower then, people were more simple, life was simple. Life is simple once again for me, but there were some hard lessons to learn.

I grew up in the 60's in a small Midwestern town. Life was grand!
Four of my girlfriends and I would pile into my Mom's station-wagon and cruise "the strip". We would all share one cigarette to look cool and chase boys in their cars and vice versa.
My parents owned a cottage on a lake so I could be found swimming, fishing, sailing, canoeing, and exploring during the summertime.
Ah, the good old days...and no worries. Now, I have a mortgage, car payment, and credit card bills. One good thing is I inherited that cottage of my youth and very fond memories of growing up in an era where life was so fantastic.

Is California another country ? Can I post here ?

Did you get a face-lift since we last spoke FJ ?

He is showing a lot of cheek!

American Grafitti is one of my favorite movies.....

Them is "sweet cheeks" I may ad!!

ANd yes, post from the "Republic of California" are allowed..

Some mid teen times were spent in Hollywood. My real dad was a cook at the Moulin Rouge. I would go hang out at the Hollywood Roller Bowl on weekends, I have even skated with Annette..

Conrad, I hope to hear a full report about life's journey in 2010..

Everyday I had to work the fields
'Cuz that's the only way we got our meals,
You see, I was the oldest of the family
And everybody else depended on me
Everynight I'd hear my Mama pray
"Lord" give him strength to face another day.
(Clarence Carter-Patches)


Not really, it's just I thought of that song and sort of felt it was appropriate (somewhat) to my upbringing. But, I was raised in a large city in the southern part of the US. Saw lots of changes as I grew up including demonstrations for civil rights. But we had the good fortune of living in a neighborhood where we could still run and play and not be (too) afraid of what was going on outside our world. Spent summers in a YMCA Day camp, went to inner city school and realized that there was much more to the world that my little community. Simpler yes. Better? In some ways, but we take away from what we learned and become responsible for how we CHOOSE to let our upbringing define us.

JMO

(I know, not another "country" but definitely not the idyllic upbringing many have had).