- The paperwork needed to buy a gun was tearing out and filling out the ad in the back of a magazine.
- When I was about ten years old, I used to walk around downtown Baltimore all day by myself.
- Instead of "Drop and Roll" kids were taught to "Duck and Cover".
- Every summer my parents began to worry that this might be an Epidemic Year.
- Over 56,000 kids got Polio EVERY year.
- Cokes were a nickel but you had to stick your hand down in icy water to get one.
- There was a Nike Missile site about two miles from my house but on the way to school.
- We used to go every two weeks to visit my best friend Mike.
- Mike lived in an Iron Lung.
- I took my Dad's 1911 to school for show and tell.
- The teachers let me go to other classes so they could see it too.
- When you went for a ride in the country you took your food with you.
- We skipped a vacation one summer and used the money to build a bomb shelter.
- You only got to ride the school bus if you lived more than five miles from the school.
- Teachers were named Mr. X or Mrs. X and kids were addressed as Mr. X or Miss X.
- We practiced every day learning to add One Nation, Under GOD to the Pledge.
When I was growing up...
- Thread starter jar
- Start date
MitchSchaft
New member
Man, you're old
Dunno about Mike, but polio victims who ended up in iron lungs had their chest muscles paralyzed so they couldn't breathe on their own.
Living (if you could call it that) in a huge tank on your back with just your head sticking out and mirrors arranged around your head so you could see around the room, wasn't conducive to a long or happy life. For example, sometimes you have to cough -- they couldn't....
The Mothers' March of Dimes was a big and worthy volunteer outfit that "done good" in raising money to "fight infantile paralysis." One of my HS teachers lost the use of his legs as a young adult to polio. When the Salk vaccine came out, there were massive and wholesale programs to immunize all children. Taking no chances, when the Sabin oral vaccine came out, they immunized them again. That was more fun because it was a few drops of something on a sugar cube....
Pandemic polio is not an artifact of the "good old days" to be desired.
MitchSchaft
New member
My dad had polio in his foot when he was a kid. They removed the polio successfully and it didn't cause any problems. He was lucky. He'll be 52 this year.
I used to ride my bike across town to the river bottom with my 20-ga. single shot on the handlebars when I was about 11 or 12.
My dad still remembers (with a SERIOUS lack of fondness) the day that my little brother came back from the hardware store and reported that they wouldn't sell him a box of shells for his .410 anymore.
And I'm only 33 years old.
My dad still remembers (with a SERIOUS lack of fondness) the day that my little brother came back from the hardware store and reported that they wouldn't sell him a box of shells for his .410 anymore.
And I'm only 33 years old.
K77
Thanks for asking. Mike lived until he was 19. When he did die it was sudden, he just went to sleep and never woke up.
I have to really compliment the people here at TFL. I posted this on several different boards and you are the first to understand that not all was great in the Good Old Days.
Thank you for understanding.
Thanks for asking. Mike lived until he was 19. When he did die it was sudden, he just went to sleep and never woke up.
I have to really compliment the people here at TFL. I posted this on several different boards and you are the first to understand that not all was great in the Good Old Days.
Thank you for understanding.
DadOfThree
New member
Things were indeed not perfect in the Good Old Days. Many more deaths from disease, work was harder, we didn't have as many "things", open racial discrimination was worse. That said, I would rather have raised my kids under those condidtions than the ones we have now. It was safer for kids to walk the streets, neighbors tended to watch out for each other's kids and report back to parents if their kids were not behaving. Decisions could be made more on common sense and less on what your lawyer would advise. People had to take care of themselves and had to work hard, I think that is good for the human spirit. I think that having too many "things" makes people believe that that is the goal in life rather than the reward for working hard. I wish we could have gotten rid of the bad things and kept the good. So all things considered, for the most part, I think they were better in the Good Old Days. Far from perfect but better than now.
Jar, I remember all that. The good and the bad. At age 6 I'd go and buy cigarettes for my brothers when they asked (about 10 cents I pack, IIRC). Had a good childhood friend with MD who only lived a couple more years after I met him. Guns everywhere, and nobody was concerned--even in the city. Terrible gang fights between whites and blacks.
19-cent-a-gallon gas. You could cruise all night for less than a buck.
My favorite memory right now (maybe because it's hot as hell) is the pop machine at the local theatre. It had a dial on the front for selecting the flavor. Put in your dime (expensive), cup drops down. Turn the dial from cola to cherry to orange, and make your own flavor.
19-cent-a-gallon gas. You could cruise all night for less than a buck.
My favorite memory right now (maybe because it's hot as hell) is the pop machine at the local theatre. It had a dial on the front for selecting the flavor. Put in your dime (expensive), cup drops down. Turn the dial from cola to cherry to orange, and make your own flavor.
I used to cruise the outskirts of town on my banana bike wearing an Aussi hat (buttoned on one side), a bowie knife (the one posted on the Revolver- stag grips thread),a Crossman SAA on my hip, and had a Crossman pellet rifle strapped across the handle bars. Vietnam war was raging and I was getting ready for it by God. Student riots, race riots, skyrocketing crime rates, drugs, drugs and more drugs.......oh yeah the good ol' days.
MeekAndMild
New member
I have a friend who got polio in the 40's. His parents took him to a hospital in the city but that summer all the iron lungs were already taken so he wasn't expected to live. He was put on a ward with hundreds of other really sick kids. He said one of the bad parts was at night when he could hear the nurses come in to take away the dead ones then he'd ask about them the next day and never got a straight answer.
After the vaccine came in things were a lot calmer and less frantic. Salk was considered a hero, even more so than John Glenn a few years later.
After the vaccine came in things were a lot calmer and less frantic. Salk was considered a hero, even more so than John Glenn a few years later.
Woodchuck(groundhog) hunting with small
cokes cooling in a mountain springs, I was
11-12, picked up coke bottles to buy 22
long rifle. No one even raised a head when
a 11 year old walked in a store with rifle
in hand.
Somone above posted work was harder and
I somewhat disagree with that, I believe we
now work longer hours due to taxes and I
dont believe products are as good, (no that
doesnt include everything) but most.
Ordered a pump shotgun through the mail
at 14, man was I happy with that gun, worked all summer for it..
Gone but not forgotten, good times.!!
I only wish most young folks could have
the same but we gave it up.
cokes cooling in a mountain springs, I was
11-12, picked up coke bottles to buy 22
long rifle. No one even raised a head when
a 11 year old walked in a store with rifle
in hand.
Somone above posted work was harder and
I somewhat disagree with that, I believe we
now work longer hours due to taxes and I
dont believe products are as good, (no that
doesnt include everything) but most.
Ordered a pump shotgun through the mail
at 14, man was I happy with that gun, worked all summer for it..
Gone but not forgotten, good times.!!
I only wish most young folks could have
the same but we gave it up.
We not only said the pledge of allegence, we followed it up with the Lords prayer. This was public school.
Refinished and repaired rifle stocks in wood shop, kept the gun in my locker and no one cared.
Used to look at the Sears catalog and thumb through page after page of guns and hunting supplies you could mail order.
But what made me really feel old was the other day my 18 yr old daughter was looking at some of my old Rock 'n Roll LP's and asked "How did these work?"
Refinished and repaired rifle stocks in wood shop, kept the gun in my locker and no one cared.
Used to look at the Sears catalog and thumb through page after page of guns and hunting supplies you could mail order.
But what made me really feel old was the other day my 18 yr old daughter was looking at some of my old Rock 'n Roll LP's and asked "How did these work?"
I was born in 1952 also. Came down with polio in 1956. Was very lucky since I had already had my first SALK vaccine and seemed to lessen the effect. Stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks and then recovered at home for 3 months. Still remember the whirl pool baths. There would be 10 or so kids strapped on back boards tilted into the water. That was in the same room they kept the iron lungs.
There are times that you can't forget, even being 4 years old. Everything turned out alright. Even did my time in the military.
Anyone that's had polio is worried about Post Polio Syndrome. Apparently the nerve damage that occured during the illness becomes a factor after you get older.
The bicycle trips, camping, and hunting while growing up can't be taken away.
The March of Dimes was an immense help when I was sick.
Bulkhead
There are times that you can't forget, even being 4 years old. Everything turned out alright. Even did my time in the military.
Anyone that's had polio is worried about Post Polio Syndrome. Apparently the nerve damage that occured during the illness becomes a factor after you get older.
The bicycle trips, camping, and hunting while growing up can't be taken away.
The March of Dimes was an immense help when I was sick.
Bulkhead
I remember having an absolute terror of being put in an iron lung. People did work longer hours back then as I recall. My dad worked 5 days a week and on Saturday morning. However, I also remember that you could buy pretty much any kind of gun through the mail, including M-1 Garands, Webleys, P-38s and 37 mm artillery pieces(really). Anyone remember the Herter catalog?