Memories of a Baby Boomers Youth
Written by MJ Reporter Willow LaMunyon
Memories get a Medicare Jet-Setters Groovy Review
When I was growing up, my mother regaled me with the joys of her childhood and especially the delights of playing kick the can. I smiled and listened because sharing her memories, always put her in a good mood. However, understanding the pleasures of kicking a can around completely eluded me. I am now the old lady telling the stories of my youth. I still don't get the pleasure of kicking a can around, so I don't expect my kids to understand some of the pleasures of my past.
I heard mention of the Sears catalog, and the thought of that magazine brought back some of my own favorite memories. The first time I ever actually had one of those thick catalogs come to my own home and discovered the Sears Company would let my husband Larry have a Sears card with my name on it was a big thrill. We looked through it till the ink on the pages started to smear. We had determined how much money we could safely charge on that card. Larry Jr., our first child, had outgrown his baby shower clothing, so the top priority was clothing for our son. I remember seeing a set with a flannel shirt, and the little jeans had cuffs in the same fabric. It was the first item on our list. We ordered more outfits for him, a shirt for Larry, and a dress for me, along with a few Christmas gifts. Delivery time was six weeks. That long wait is one of the things the next generation will never understand, any more than I understood kick the can. The long wait for our packages to arrive held the fun of anticipation. Waiting on the mailman was one of the most thrilling times of the day.
My granddaughters shake their heads, wondering why the girls of my generation went to the trouble of getting dressed up for every date. We would soak in the tub using fragranced bottles of bubble bath that we bought ourselves, then we would fix our hair, put on makeup, and choose just the right dress. We would sneak a squirt of our mom's perfume, and all for a show and visit to A&W Root Beer to eat hamburgers and fries in a car. I don't know how to explain to them the feeling of looking our best and making even small events special because of the care we took in getting ready for our dates.
Today's kids have the freedom given to them by cell phones. Those phones and looser restrictions on girls calling boys ended the phone cord that tied us to our houses until we got that special call. I wonder what they will tell their children about the joys of their youth while their kids shake their heads without a clue as to why mom and dad thought their memories were fun.
The photo was taken in 1958 at Willow LaMunyon's Youth Group.
Medicare Jet-Setters give memories of our childhood a groovy rating.