The schism of reality between the thirties group today and the sixities group of folks:

I know, I know, here comes another rant of how good life was THEN and how messed up government, greed and selfishness have made things NOW. I am not writing in that theme, but in the realization that folks, for whatever reason (selfabsorption does comes to mind as a cause) do know how we lived back in the 50's and 60's (no, mad men reflects a mere portion of the population.

Things: what possession did I have, did most middleclass folks have? I am offspring of a two college degreed parents,one adult working family. We had our own house, with a mortgage, a car (initially our cars were used and "sold" to us from grandparents who bought new ones for themselves. Our first new car (lime green mercury) was in l954. Each child (2) had her/his own room. toys? we had big items: sleds, ice skates(although I confess to having "one size for all" ice skates, rink roller skates, bicycle, etc: and that size was big: size 8 or nine for the skates, and adult for the bike(bought used). I was a large child and so in anticipation of rapid growth to giant size, big was always bought. I never grew into any of those shoes, I was a size 7 until middle age. I had a homemade dollhouse from my mother, and my father built doll things llike a clothes rack and cradle for me. My brother had an erector set. we had homemade blocks which we played with until junior school school age.

I had five school outfits, and one sweater, always navy blue, which was often left in school to wear over a cotton dress if the classroom was cold (and it often was-- old school, rattling windows). I had dungarees, flannel lined with matching flannel shirt for afterschool play. I had 3 pairs of shoes, dress-up/church, school and sneakers. And I had slippers. If I went to a friend's house immediately afterschool I carried my playclothes in a brown paper shopping bag. All books were from the library. I remember begging to "own a book" a book of my own (my mother and father both had serial collections of children's stories which I read eagerly, and I wanted my own collection, but I was twelve when I got a real hardback book of my own. (and it was a grudging gift, thought to be silly by my parents--they were right: I read it in a day and never read it again.) Book of the Month Club was more appropriate for me, and I began my collection of hardbacks that way. ((oh! I have seen it all, a trash collector, hanging from the edge of the truck is checking and texting on his cell phone!! interruption from the present time))

What shocked me yesterday(2010) was thirty year somethings not realizing that children did not have: personal cell phones (heck we did not have a telephone extension phone until the l980's) there was one tv (except in our house where there was none) and the idea of a child having something like a computer, radio, tv of their own was absurd. Snacks: bread, butter and sugar was usually the snack, along with in season fruit. My parents had soda and some candy and cookie snacks in the house, but they were "hidden"(I obviously knew about them) and not for kids. It was impossible to sneak these snacks away as they were usually opened and entirely consumed in one sitting. Meals were at home or with a relative, and eating out was once or twice a month, gradually morphing to once a week. Prepared foods were unavailable. Childhood friends did not come over for meals.

when did the desire and availability for all these possesions, the need for each child to have a cell phone for safety,the bazillion stuffed animals occur? I don't know. I went off to camp for 8 weeks with a trunk and 3 blankets. I went to college with almost the same amount. computers were not for general, personal use when I attended college. The telephone booths were in the hall, downstairs. I owned an iron, hair dryer, and hot water boiler/pot(thoroughly illegal) and portable typewriter and!! a sewing machine, the last did not go to college with me, but everything else did. some of these material possessions were bought by me with summer earnings. I earned $200 my first year as a summer camp counselor, and that money bought all my college books, my college clothes and spending money. I augmented it with work in the dish room for $.67 an hour......

Oh, and I was middleclass so I had ballet lessons,(again a leotard that fit me 4 years later! never did get beyond the all cotton zipper up the back leotard) piano lessons (4 years after beginning I quit to the great relief of everyone) art lessons and joined campfire girls for a mere ten cents a week dues. i also took swim/gym lessons at the ymca for a few years.And with all those lessons, my neighborhood friend, whose parents had to have been immigrants, and did not have college degrees (father worked shift work at GE)took the same lessons. So there was money for these things for many families.

What is all this about? Why do folks have to work two jobs now (or have two parents working fulltime?) Is it the need/requirement for cell phones, flat screened TVs large mounts of clothing? Are things much more expensive? Were we deprived of great activities in the 50-60's? Are kids overindulged and stimulated now?

Just thoughts from the benevolent dictator who would not have more than 1 TV (if that) and computers for those over a certain age, and all the books children ask for!