People of the 1960's from a Kid's Point of View

The 1960's in America were arguably our most turbulent time.  We were in transition, like a tween going into young adulthood.  We were trying to find our identity, trying for that independence that a teen strives for.  But like a teen, we weren't quite grown up yet.

The 1950's were calm and tranquil compared to the 60's.  In the 60's young adults were definitely being seen AND heard all over America, with demonstrations against anything authoritarian.  Vietnam War anti-protesters were front and center well into the 1970's.  Drugs were being used by many, and the new sub-culture of the day was the hippie.  We went from respecting ourselves and each other to being angry at everything, seemingly overnight.

For me, as a child of the 1960's, most of the angst of the day was a faraway world.  I saw it on the news, of course, but my surroundings were that of my family and friends.  My schoolmates seemed like they had lives just like mine.  We had two parents--a mom and a dad--and probably siblings.  We had our stuff--toys, bikes, a home.  We got three good meals a day, and snacks besides.  We had clean clothes to wear.  Until the early 1970's nobody I knew had gotten a divorce.  Sheltered, eh?  But back in that day, it was different than it is now. 

Teacher kept order and had our best interests always at heart

Then, the village was a better, more well-adjusted place.  People really did look out for children.  We had a great school bus driver who made sure we were safe and that none of the kids on his bus got out of control.  Our teachers obviously had our best interests at heart.  Our friends' parents knew us, at least their moms did.  They fed us lunches and kept an eye on us as we played in each other's yards.  They reminded us when it was time to go home to dinner if we asked them to.  And our parents' every desire was to make the family work well.  Dad worked, even if he wasn't happy with his job or his pay (my dad was frequently unhappy with his pay).  Mom often stayed home and took care of the household and the younger kids who weren't in school yet.  Even when she had a job, sometimes her pay helped to make day-to-day life easier or more plentiful.  My mom was a nurse, and for a time in the 60's we would go out to dinner somewhere every other Saturday night.  We'd try lots of different places, all sit-down, nicer restaurants.  That would not have been possible without Mom's job.

Family enjoying dinner together

I think that something that the first half of the 60's had over today is that we had a sense of right and wrong.  I only saw life, and observed society, from a child's viewpoint, and if you were an adult at that time you undoubtedly saw it all from a different perspective.  Throughout time, people have done what people do, and sometimes they don't do the best things.  But as time has gone on, there is less shame in doing things that have a negative impact on society.  For example, porn used to be a magazine hidden under a mattress--now it is splashed all over the Internet and billboards in every city.  It is on our televisions and in movies.  Instead of being embarrassed by it, it is acceptable to a large portion of society--despite the fact that it is exploitative, ugly, and extremely harmful. 

I'm not saying that I was oblivious to the upheaval of society in the 60's.  I was very aware of it.  The high school kids that rode my school bus were normal teens.  The girls teased their hair and wore pink lipstick and lots of mascara and chewed their gum constantly.  The boys had long bangs and sideburns and tried to look tough.  That wasn't just on television and movies--it was real.  One young man who rode our bus sometimes, and was very quiet, stopped riding the bus.  I found out later that he had committed suicide.  Life was in our faces, whether we liked it or not.  But in my small circle of life, there was good and evil, and evil was a thing that was locked outside at night, in the darkness, away from the family.

This might seem weird, but my husband and kids and I are trying to buck the lifestyle of the 21st century and model our family life more like the mid-20th century.  We eat dinner together every night.  I stay home and take care of the household, and even school the kids.  Every morning as my husband goes out the front door to drive to work, I kiss him good-bye.  We go to church every Sunday morning, and it is the highlight of our week.  We have consciously chosen to NOT stay busy, busy, busy all the time, but to take time to dream, plan, and just enjoy life instead.  For some, this might all seem horribly old-fashioned and dull.  And I guess for some, it would be.  But we are very happy with it!  Please know that I'm aware that most people couldn't possibly get by with only one income in the family, and I'm not in ANY way putting working moms down!  Just, if the choice is there, it's not such a bad one!

Dinner time grace

How about you?  Are you living the "normal" life of a resident of the 21st century?  Are you loving it, or would you like to take a step back in time?  Some people thrive on being busy all the time--do you?  Do you get embarrassed by the things some people do in our anything-goes society, or do you partake in whatever "feels good at the time?"  There are ways to change your life if you feel like something is missing.  I hope for you joy and peace in living YOUR lifestyle.