Simple pleasures lost in time
There are things I miss about my 20th century childhood.
Some things my body has simply rejected: Goo Goo Clusters stir up blood sugar. Wiffle ball causes back spasms. Jumping a ramp on a bicycle would be a 911 moment.
Other childhood pleasures have simply run their course: Archie comic books, Matchbox
cars and Monkees LPs come to mind.
For my two sons, ages 15 and 10, childhood is more elaborate. But I still wouldn’t trade the 1960s for modern diversions. Today there are more sources of entertainment, more food choices. I was 10 years old before I had a pizza, 20 before I ate a taco.
My 21st century sons, meanwhile, are part of the bloodstream of the age — the internet. They order stuff online, play online games with friends and do homework without ever leaving the couch. They play outdoors a bit, but mostly during prescribed hours on formal teams.
I find myself clinging sentimentally to my mid-century memories and even wishing my boys had the same experiences. As an experiment, I closed my eyes and let my mind wander back to the 1960s and 1970s.
Some simple things I miss:
› Only having three commercial television channels plus PBS made us a more cohesive culture. The themes in the 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” for example, are the same ones playing out in politics today. Then, though, we could wrap them in humor and laugh about our differences. Now we shout in public and troll the “enemy” on social media.
› The sweet smell of line-dried sheets made me feel disinfected inside and out.
› My grandmother fanned me to sleep at naptime with a handwoven straw fan, creating a mid-day breeze that was infused with love.
› I remember eating meals and never thinking about fat or carbs. Heck, I remember intentionally consuming ribbons of fat trimmed off a steak — and doing it without
I have a feeling crawling in the storm sewers during rainy season — like we did when I was young — would be frowned upon in modern suburbia.
a trace of regret.
› Reading a record album cover while listening to early Elton John was a form of meditation.
› The staticky sound of football play-by-play on the radio made the games seem mythic.
› We played tackle football on asphalt — without helmets or guilt.
› Dusk at drive-in movies was the best. The anticipation of the sun on the horizon and the sweet smell of popcorn was intoxicating.
› Free-range children roamed everywhere. I have a feeling crawling in the storm sewers during rainy season — like we did when I was young — would be frowned upon in modern suburbia.
› We paid unannounced visits on friends. Yes, we used to just pile into the car to go see our parents’ friends. Nobody thought about calling ahead. Friendship was more spontaneous, not comparative like Facebook. Looking at someone’s family pictures once a year instead of once a day was a much bigger treat.
› One of my favorite childhood dishes was poke sallet and scrambled eggs. I wouldn’t know where to begin to look for a mess of poke sallet today.
› I miss smalltown life in places where kids didn’t automatically move away from home after high school. Living around friends you’ve had since elementary school keeps everybody honest.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@ timesfreepress.com or 423-645-8937.