Name something

[rex desilets]

By modern standards we were sort of poor (in those days, Fed'l Gov't employees were poorly paid, a surprise to many here, I'm sure). But in semi-rural Mississippi we didn't know that (sharecropper kids were really poor). School clothes consisted of two pair of jeans (one to wash, one to wear), shirts my Mother made, and sneakers. Church clothes were hand-me-down from my older cousin, plus "good" shoes.

Starting in '47 I sent off to Lionel for their annual catalog and spent hours longing for a Lionel train (the catalogs were put together by advertising geniuses, the catalog illustrations were kids' equivalent of Playboy centerfolds). All my buddies had O gauge Lionel and I was stuck with my Dad's ca. 1917 Standard gauge Lionel set. Anyway, for Christmas 1949 (as I recall) I wanted with a desire approaching lust a Lionel set with a loco that smoked and automatic couplers. Now: remember the film "Christmas Story" when Ralphie gets his Red Ryder Daisy carbine. My story is the exact analogy. Came into the living room, in reverse order of age with my two brothers, and dove into the loot. No train. Dad asked me if I was happy and I said, sort of, yes. So he says, why there's a box back in the corner (you see, dad always arranged all the goodies under the tree because Santa Claus...disbelief arrived later in my youth). Anyway, I dragged the box out and there was the Steam Turbine set. I've had happy days in my life, but I think this may have been the topper. Eventually, Dad even let me run my train myself...
A bit more:
Given our family finances, my folks couldn't afford a good set, and ordered from Sears the el cheapo Scout set. Dad set it up at work on his drafting table and decided , rightly, that it wasn't good enough. Wrapped it up, sent it back to Sears to be replaced by something better. Sears was sold out of whatever that was, so they substituted the top-of-the-line Steam Turbine set at no cost. Needless to say, we were Sears fans for years after that.
When Son was 6 years old I decided to give it to him. Set it up and, of course, it chugged right into life after years of storage. Son still has it.

[HONDO74]

Now that is one of those 110% stories. Over the top and very enjoyable to read.

[healey36]

Nice recollections, Rex. Both my childhood bicycle (Schwinn "English racer") and my train set (1956 Flyer "Mountaineer" set) were second-hand purchases from our local Joe The Motorist's Friend store. While frugality ruled the roost in my childhood home, I can't say we ever wanted for anything. Christmas, unlike the rest of the year, was usually a blow-out...more stuff than one could imagine.

[rex desilets]

Thanks, healey. Christmas at our house was also a big blow out. My Mother once told me it took my Dad until June to pay off his Christmas bills.

[rex desilets]

Now that is one of those 110% stories. Over the top and very enjoyable to read.

Goodness. Thanks! So many happy memories to share.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Now that is one of those 110% stories. Over the top and very enjoyable to read.

Goodness. Thanks! So many happy memories to share.

Rock-on, bro.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Just now, as I ate breakfast, I watched two episodes of "Leave It To Beaver." I was amazed at how thoroughly that America is all gone.

Or is it? Maybe it left and came away within some of us.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Just now, as I ate breakfast, I watched two episodes of "Leave It To Beaver." I was amazed at how thoroughly that America is all gone.

That America never really existed except on TV - at best, it was a wishful fantasy created by Hollywood.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Just now, as I ate breakfast, I watched two episodes of "Leave It To Beaver." I was amazed at how thoroughly that America is all gone.

That America never really existed except on TV - at best, it was a wishful fantasy created by Hollywood.

Then, suppose you enlighten us about what did exist then? Huh?

Yet, I have to admit, even my mother used to be cynical about what the mother wore in the house every day, as not necessarily typical, especially the hi-heels, as well as what the father wore, as unrealistic; this scoffing included what "Father Knows Best" wore, too, at home, as a further example.

Of course, living in a small town dominated and granted prosperity by a steelmill molded our daily life to include fathers not returning home from work wearing ties. My mother did often wear freshly-pressed cotton shirtwaist dresses, though, crisp and perky to greet my father's return home each day with an atmosphere of orderliness and cleanliness. IMHO

Aside from the clothing, it was actually the attitude and the appearance of the neighborhood in "Leave It To Beaver" that I was bringing to particular attention; also, the way the boys played and interacted, and the way the brothers took care of each other. We even had an Eddie Haskell character whom the girls panted over. I witnessed such phenomena regularly in my 'hood, fa reeeeaaaaal. The tone among the adults - how 'bout that? My gosh, didn't you live in convivial Pennsylvania, too?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Just now, as I ate breakfast, I watched two episodes of "Leave It To Beaver." I was amazed at how thoroughly that America is all gone.

That America never really existed except on TV - at best, it was a wishful fantasy created by Hollywood.

Then, suppose you enlighten us about what did exist then? Huh?

Yet, I have to admit, even my mother used to be cynical about what the mother wore in the house every day, as not necessarily typical, especially the hi-heels, as well as what the father wore, as unrealistic; this scoffing included what "Father Knows Best" wore, too, at home, as a further example.

Of course, living in a small town dominated and granted prosperity by a steelmill molded our daily life to include fathers not returning home from work wearing ties. My mother did often wear freshly-pressed cotton shirtwaist dresses, though, crisp and perky to greet my father's return home each day with an atmosphere of orderliness and cleanliness. IMHO

Aside from the clothing, it was actually the attitude and the appearance of the neighborhood in "Leave It To Beaver" that I was bringing to particular attention; also, the way the boys played and interacted, and the way the brothers took care of each other. We even had an Eddie Haskell character whom the girls panted over. I witnessed such phenomena regularly in my 'hood, fa reeeeaaaaal. The tone among the adults - how 'bout that? My gosh, didn't you live in convivial Pennsylvania, too?

Yes, I did live in PA. Our life was never that happy, happy, joy, joy where I lived. Life was a lot harder, a lot dirtier, a lot less fun & games every day, and generally painful as most struggled to get by and survive in the real world. "Leave It To Beaver" was a fantasy land that was sold as what life was supposed to be for everyone. Sadly, the folks that made it up never had to live in reality.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Thank you for sharing that, Rufus. That was gracious of you to add something so personal to the conversation intended by this thread.

My little working-class suburban neighborhood was far different from what you have described. All the kids learned a work-ethic from our parents, and all played hard when we played, parents included. For example, my steelmill employed father coached softball teams and sponsored picnics for the nuns and clergy of our parish. He was the impetus for our Catholic elementary school's first cafeteria , and he and my mother personally labored to effect its coming to fruition, at first for First Friday" breakfasts; then, for daily school lunches. I scrubbed, mopped, and cleaned the storage areas and serving aisle. I loved it all.

My first real job was delivering daily and Sunday newspapers throughout our entire neighborhood. That meant I became familiar with every house and family. I miss them all and feel privileged to have lived there in our Leave-it-to-Beaver-style neighborhood. Truly.

[HONDO74]

"Leave It To Beaver" was a fantasy land that was sold as what life was supposed to be for everyone. Sadly, the folks that made it up never had to live in reality.

I never envisioned "Leave It To Beaver" to be what everyday life was like for everyone. Only how it was for one particular family. Kind of like the movie "A Christmas Story" And yet in the movie I saw many similarities to my life at that point in time.

Leave it to Beaver - April 16, 1958
http://americanflyerdisplays.org/jal...ide/index.html

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Thank you for sharing that, Rufus. That was gracious of you to add something so personal to the conversation intended by this thread.

My little working-class suburban neighborhood was far different from what you have described. All the kids learned a work-ethic from our parents, and all played hard when we played, parents included. For example, my steelmill employed father coached softball teams and sponsored picnics for the nuns and clergy of our parish. He was the impetus for our Catholic elementary school's first cafeteria , and he and my mother personally labored to effect its coming to fruition, at first for First Friday" breakfasts; then, for daily school lunches. I scrubbed, mopped, and cleaned the storage areas and serving aisle. I loved it all.

My first real job was delivering daily and Sunday newspapers throughout our entire neighborhood. That meant I became familiar with every house and family. I miss them all and feel privileged to have lived there in our Leave-it-to-Beaver-style neighborhood. Truly.

My parents never had that free time when I was young; we moved several times in search of jobs part of the reason I lived with my grandparents for a while). My job in early years was to get the best education I could so that I could do better in my future.