(This is what happens when one has insomnia, 2:45am hits, boredom strikes deep, so one writes. Victor, we don't wanna read all this crap. Then don't. Hehe. Or do, your call, hand ain't forced)
First couple of years. That be 1951 and 1952 for some, 1952 and 1953 for others. Long ago.
I Love Lucy premieres on CBS. The first direct dial, coast to coast phone call was made. Wouldn't you know the damn phone had to be all-center already in our life. The Birth Control Pill was developed, swing and a miss daddy, we're already here.
Loaf'a bread 16 cents, gas 19, hamburger 50 cents, bacon 52 cents, eggs 24 cents, new car $1500, Average wages $3,510.00, trike $14, but the big one, life expectancy of one born in 1951 = 68.5 years, oh shit. We got trouble, right here in River City. Well, kinda. We were a River City until 1949, that's when the Liberty Bend was cutoff and the River was moved one mile to the South. And FYI, there was a very important feller (and his spouse) that normally lived not far across that river, but from 1945 to well after we were born Harry S (for nothing) Truman and Bess lived in Washington, DC.
Some folks that played dodgeball on the playground long about the time we did but would later become famous = Kurt Russell, Mark Hamill, Michael Keaton, Robin Williams, Wonder Woman, Kirstie Alley, Ben Carson, Sting, Dale Earnhardt, John Mellencamp, The Incredible Hulk, Patrick Swayze, John Goodman, Mr.T, Superman, George Strait, Vladimir Putin (yuck), Pee Wee Herman, Jimmy Connors, Bill Walton, Bill Bellichick, Jill Biden (thereyago, another name [cradlerobber] to add to your list!]),
Whilst invented years before our birth, there's a very good chance your cloth diapers hung out on the clothesline as dryers didn't become commonplace in US homes until the 60's.We undoubtedly suffered many a diaper pin stick.
The Census shows our fine City had a population of 4,709, whilst 'Liberty Township's was 7,436, whatever in the heck that is. If you're like me, the sign you remember on the edge of town spoke "Liberty, Population 8,909."
It's likely our parents dumped us at Grannies to go see 'A Streetcar Named Desire', 'The Day The Earth Stood Still', 'The Greatest Show on Earth' or 'Just Singin' in the Rain'at the Theater.
Our parents, generally children of the Depression, would often tell us they were "Po' but didn't know it." I guess we were kinda sorta "WalMart, but didn't know it." Huh? Yeah, everything (almost) under one roof, as in, The Square (or, just off the Square). Bank, Doctor, Pharmacy, Restaurant, Shoe Store, Jewelry Store, 5 & Dime, Hardware Store, Bus Station, Grocery Store, Car Lots, Car Mechanics, Churches, Undertakers, even the Cemetary was close. Narrow, 2-lane roads brought folks into and out of the Square.
A few Birthdays before we would get a ball glove, thankfully Negro Leaguers were accepted into Major League Baseball.... The Monarchs and the Blues (KC's Minor League team) left around 1955 and the A's, our first Major League Team, moved to KC in 1955. Just about every neighborhood in Liberty had a kid that owned a dark green KC A's bat, that, from usage, undoubtedly had a few screws put in it to keep it together as well as being covered up by electrical tape to keep our hands from getting all cut up.
By the time we walked to Franklin Elementary, Ike had beaten Adlai Stevenson twice, Ray Krok agreed to franchise a chain of restaurants owned by Dick and Mac McDonald, The Korean War had ended... the segregation of Linda Brown in Topeka was ruled unconstitutional, Rosa refused to give up her seat (bus segregation also ruled unconstitutional).. The Supreme Court ruled 'all schools must be integrated with deliberate speed.'
Speed happened just before we got into the 60's...first jet service NY to Miami in 1958, as well as The Daytona 500 inaugural running in 1959... and even FASTER as the Mercury 7 astronauts were selected in 1959, and Alan Shephard was the first to go in space in1961.
As kids, if it was raining, Winter, too hot, we'd play inside with marbles, checkers, Go Fish, Old Maid, 'army guys', dolls, then Scrabble.. Crap, we have to spell already?
Nice weather? Of course we're outdoors. Cars weren't as plentiful, most were allowed to ride a bike to the Square to get a Pixie Stick or one of those disgusting wax coke thingys. Oh gosh, what did you play? Our 'hood' was big into Whiffle Ball, Kick the Can, Red Rover, lightning bug collecting, climbing the mulberry tree to eat them until we got a belly ache... taking our sister's old roller skates, having dad saw a small piece of plywood, affixing (with help) the skates to the board, jualah, a skateboard. Crawdad hunting...
When the TV was cooperating, we'd catch Captain Kangaroo, Howdy Doody, Leave it to Beaver, Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, Bonanza... Johnny followed predecessors Steve Allen and Jack Paar in 1962, and, pretending to be asleep at 10:15pm, that show produced the very first kinda risque' kinda thing I ever heard anyways. When the TV wasn't cooperating, Dad would have us grab (and hold) a mirror out front, so he could check every bulb inside the TV to figure out which one was out. Once he did, off to Breipohls we went to get a new bulb. (Yes, TV bulbs available, along with cinnamon oil, at the Pharmacy.)
The City Park was the center of everything. July 4th Fireworks, Carnivals, of course ball games.. Horse Shows.. yuck, remember the dog pound there? THE SMELL! I'm'a guessin' many very first flirtations happened in/around the baseball fields of Liberty. We BrillCreme haired dudes proudly wore our Junior Sheriff's badge awarded us by Sheriff Curt Hay, and if that didn't win a fine lass over, we'd play tag and always chase the same girl!
ROAD TRIP! Family Trips were a thing. With no IPads or DVD players we were forced to do battle with our siblings, thus, driving our folks nutso. Our 'SUV' was the station wagon - and we'd draw straws to see who got to sit, sleep, where. If you didn't get the comfy 2nd seat, next best was the very back all to yourself, whilst the youngster was almost always relegated to lay on the floor behind mom and dad. Food was packed and Highways had places to pullover and spread it all out at the roadside area on a picnic table. If we had to pee it was usually at a rest stop, but if one couldn't be found, it was then off to Stuckey's where we'd pester Dad until he caved in for either a full size Snickers (hey, we're on vacation) or a yummy pecan log roll.
Destinations varied, granny and gramps place, a cousin, one of dad's friends from the WWII, the Lake, the Ozarks (remember spending half of your life in traffic on Highway 76?)...a jovial time, we were lucky if we got a motel and even luckier if it had AC, and even LUCKIER if it had a pool. Mom 'helped' Dad with his driving, passing other cars wasn't real common, but it happened.. and we were completely unaware of the dangerous nature of it all.
OK, I'm bored again. Which is fancy for I wrote from 4am until 6-something am it's time for breakfast out. You'll have to grow up the rest of the way yourself. Or, maybe we could simply continue being childlike for the remainder of whatever time we're blessed with here.
Tune in next time for Levity and Puberty in Liberty.......
or.... On a Sunset Hill of Glory see the typewriters fly out the window of Mrs. Digg's class.
Love, Victurd
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