Tell me about the '60s (vanity)

[HungarianGypsy]

I am wanting to write a story based on a young adult in the 1960s. Since I was born in 1973 all I really know is what I studied in books. But, I want to get beyond love beads and LSD. I want to be able to write this as it really was. I know it's said if you remember the '60s you weren't really there. But, if anyone does remember I would appreciate reading your stories and facts. Thank you.

[Chi-townChief]

Our public school principal came in on 11/22/63 and informed our class that President Kennedy had been shot and our teacher asked us all to pray for the president.

[sionnsar]

Venus in Bluegenesjeans, Weindy. Mama's and the Papa' Bikini's.

And don't forget the Bikini Atoll.

[Howlin]

No! I had completely forgotten that!

And milk was delivered, too!

[RockinRight]

Some areas only had one or two stations!

If you lived in LA or NYC you might have had 4!

The "independent" and PBS stations started coming into existence in the later 60s...and once people noticed how hard it was to get UHF with an indoor antenna...the early 70s brought along a huge increase in the number of outdoor rooftop antennas.

[Howlin]

And then we all went home.

[Vigilanteman]

Actually, at one time North Dakota had the world's tallest and second tallest TV towers. They had to-- it's so flat there are no hills to put these things on. I don't know if KTHI is still the world's tallest tower (located near Blanchard, N.D.), but I do know the second tallest tower was brought down one foggy morning by an aircraft collision.

[sionnsar]

The idea of a school shooting was unheard of.

Almost. There was that guy in the tower on some (Texas?) campus...

[Carolinamom]

I still have a framed picture that I got w/S&H green stamps. My oldest daughter wants me to will it to her. LOL

[linda_22003]

"What was that show after school that had the monster (Barnaby?)."

"Dark Shadows", the first (only?) horror soap opera. Barnabas was a vampire.

[Exton1]

The 1960’s were about changes and a bright future for all Americans. Early in the 1960’s they introduced McDonalds and transistor radios. Top 40 radio stations were big, and there was music everywhere. The Beatles hit America and everyone looked in amazement as they at times took the top 3 or 4 songs on the top 40s list.

There was the excitement of space exploration with Startrek an rocket launches. The geek was born. It seemed as thou America could do anything. Every day there was a new trend or invention being released. Like the mini dress, panty hose, Mod Clothing, English styles, muscle cars like the Mustang, GTO, and Camaro made the scene. Colors in clothing and devices were everywhere. Even the cars came in powder blue, and bright orange.

James Bond and spy films were in the movies and on TV. Batman and Robin and other super heroes and laugh in became part of the US psyche. When Sammy Davis Jr., went on “Laugh In” and did his “Hear comes the Judge” everyone new about it or saw it. We seemed to be a very United Country, where we all looked after the children and each other. Churches were full and people seemed happy. Just listen to the fun silly songs that came out in the 1960’s. They were fun and simple and brought love and good feelings.

You want to understand the 1960 read a list of song titles. I feel fine, My Girl, Mr Postman, Duke of Earl, I wana hold your hand, Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe - Barry White; I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby - Barry White; You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby - Bobby Darin; Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli.

Children respected there parents, the old man went to work and Mom stayed home and made surprise dishes that she read in a magazine.

Life was good for all, and no matter where you worked you could afford a home and two cars. IT was a great time to be alive.

[mc5cents]

Graduated from high school in 1961 so I remember the 60's, a little. I was a jock in high school so we never got into the pot. Only tried pot once, got sick and never touched the stuff again. Budweiser was the beer of choice. Quarts usually. When we were short on money it was Orbit or some such beer. On weekends someone would always raid their father's booz stash and we would get sick an end up throwing up.
Most fun was sneaking a bunch of us into the drive-in in the trunk of a car and trying not to laugh or giggle as the designated driver pulled up(alone) to pay. Sometimes got a good feel from the girls while piled on top of one another. Oh man! Parked in the last row to unload laughing hysterically. Oh it was fun.

[surrey]

When our English teacher told us the President had been shot we thought it was the president of the student body.

[BulletBobCo]

I remember him. Bill Stulla.

[Tax-chick]

You couldn't tell where they were hurt until you looked in their eyes. Some looked like they were dead but just didn't know it yet.

I knew some of these when I was growing up - everyone we knew was military.

I had a high school teacher who dove under his desk and yelled "Everybody down!" when the light bulb on the film projector blew.

[Arrowhead1952]

I remember getting my rear end busted one morning after I took the milk bucket back to the house without milk. One of the cows stepped into the milk, and I hit the cow on the head with the bucket. I didn't get punished for no milk, but for bending the bucket.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

I forgot about S&H trading stamps! My Mom would get them from the grocery store, she had books and books of stamps. That's where we got most of our small appliances and of course the plaid round beverage cooler for family trips to Jones Beach.

[Hatteras]

I had the green $51.95 model. I didn't wear those goofy shoes though. Chucks and PF Flyers for those special occasions. Mom would open the kitchen door and shoo us out in the morning and we didn't come back until the supper bell rang in the evening. If you ever see The Sandlot. That was pretty much my life in the '60s. We had our neighborhood gang of friends that did everything together. Baseball, lazy hot summer afternoons floating across the sound on backyard-built rafts, fishing, flipping for baseball cards, Hotwheels, going to the rich kid's house on Saturday to watch color TV, BB gun wars... I could go on.

Can't go back but I damn sure would love to...

[353FMG]

In 1957 I went hunting in Michigan and got stuck in neck-deep snow in a Buick Dynaflow. We had shot guns, rifles and a M1911 open on the backseat. A cop stuck his head through the window, looked at our arsenal and said: "You boys be careful now"

[Rb ver. 2.0]

All from the perspective of a kid at the time:

At 8 and 9 years old I'd ride my bike 2 miles to school everyday. Whenever I got punished I'd have to take the bus or walk it.

My buddies and I would roam 3-5 miles away from home on our bikes in the 4th-5th grade. There was no fear of perverts or gangbangers.

In the summertime every evening all the kids on the block would play kick the can in the middle of the street. Almost all playing was done in the street.

I got into a fight with a kid over the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz movie. He kept talking about her ugly green skin and I told him she didn't have green skin. I didn't know he watched it on a color TV.

Speaking of fights, my mom let me get my ass whupped on my front porch. She saw a fight brewing and locked the door.

Westerns and WWII movies were king.

Most tee shirts kids wore where plain white.
James Bond was totally cool. Lava Lamps were contemporary art. Chicks in mini skirts with go-go boots. Motown records.
Dodge Ball and Fox Across were school sanctioned activities.

Our kitchen cabinets were filled with gas station drinking glasses. You got one free every time you filled up.

Paul Newman a cool actor.

Rachel Welch and Sophia Lauren were ~the~ hot babes of the day.

Reel to Reel tape was cutting edge audio technology.

"Made in Japan" meant cheap crap.

Bananas were 9 cents a lb.

A Mcdonald's hamburger was 17 cents.

Happy meals didn't exist.

The Burger King wasn't gay.

TV went off the air when Johnny Carson was over.

M-80's and Cherry Bombs were legal.

Spring time meant kite flying.

If you traveled any distance you'd come to a point where the interstate highway you were riding on ended and you'd have to take a state highway. If you came upon one of these interstate terminus at night, there'd be smudge pots burning along the road to alert you to the exit. And there were great restaurants along those old roads.

Hendrix, Zeppelin, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Zappa, Vanilla Fudge, were playing on my brother's stereo. Beatles, Beach Boys, Animals, were playing on my Sister's stereo.

I had a crappy record player and lousy kids records, and 45's.

Big arse puffy hairdos were in style.

Every night on the TV, the news would start out (Walter Cronkite) with how many US troops were killed in Vietnam that day.

If you wanted to know something you had to go to the library and look it up, unless you were lucky enough to have a set of encyclopedias in your house.

Phones were rotary dial, none of this push button stuff. I hated calling friends whose phone numbers had a lot 8's,9's and 0's.

Walkie talkies sucked. You were lucky if they worked across the street.

Room to room intercom systems were popular in houses.


Computers were rocket science.
If you wanted to boil water you had to put it on the stove, no microwaves.

Transistor radios were cutting edge.

Planter's peanuts had chain outlets where you could get fresh roasted nuts.

Dime stores or drug stores were the place to hang out as a kid.

Hardware stores were cool. If you needed it , they had it, from ammo to Vacuum Tubes. Speaking of Vacuum Tubes, every hardware store had a Vacuum tube tester where you could plug in your tubes and check them.

There were no self service gas stations. You sat in your car and the attendants pumped the gas, checked the oil, washed the windows and checked your tires If you asked them.

TV dinners sucked.

Everyone left their doors unlocked.

My dad use to raise hell with my brother over his hair covering his ears and long bangs.

My sister and her college roommate backpacked all over Europe on summer.

A pack of Cigarettes was 30 cents and they sold them to minors. :-)

That's all for now.

[budgetbabe]

What a memory! That guy scared me to death.