Memories from a 1%er
99% of those born between 1930 and 1946 (worldwide)are now dead. If you were born in this time span, you are one of the rare 1%er of this special group. Their ages range from 77 to 93 years old, a 16-year age span. Interesting facts about the 1%ers: You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900s.
You are the last generation, climbing out of depression, who canc remember the Winds of War and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years. You are the last to remember ration books for everything from ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.
You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the ‘milk box’ on the porch. Discipline was enforced by both parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television, instead you ‘imagined’ what you heard on the radio. With no T.V. you spent your childhood playing outside. There was no Little League.
There was no playground for kids except in Anniston, AL where Dottie lived. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the real world was like. We got black and white T.V. in the early 1950s that had three stations and no remote.
Telephones were one per house, often shared (party line) and often hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy) our phone number was 235 red. Computers were called calculators; they were hand cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.
Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. (Your dad gave you the comics when he was reading the news. New highways would bring new jobs. Most highways were two lanes (no Interstate). You went downtown to shop. If you lived in town you walked to school. The radio network expanded from three stations to thousands.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families. You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all consuming family focus. They were glad you played by yourselves. They were busy discovering the post war world. You entered the world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered. Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it. You cane of age in the ‘50s and ‘60s. You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland. Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 and Korea when the World was secure and full of bright promises. You grew up in the best possible time and the World was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times.” If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people in the world who were born in this special 16-year time span. You are a 1%’er!
Just Sayin…RJS
Robert J Samples wrote:
Memories from a 1%er
99% of those born between 1930 and 1946 (worldwide)are now dead. If you were born in this time span, you are one of the rare 1%er of this special group. Their ages range from 77 to 93 years old, a 16-year age span. Interesting facts about the 1%ers: You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900s.
You are the last generation, climbing out of depression, who canc remember the Winds of War and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years. You are the last to remember ration books for everything from ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.
You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the ‘milk box’ on the porch. Discipline was enforced by both parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television, instead you ‘imagined’ what you heard on the radio. With no T.V. you spent your childhood playing outside. There was no Little League.
There was no playground for kids except in Anniston, AL where Dottie lived. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the real world was like. We got black and white T.V. in the early 1950s that had three stations and no remote.
Telephones were one per house, often shared (party line) and often hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy) our phone number was 235 red. Computers were called calculators; they were hand cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.
Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. (Your dad gave you the comics when he was reading the news. New highways would bring new jobs. Most highways were two lanes (no Interstate). You went downtown to shop. If you lived in town you walked to school. The radio network expanded from three stations to thousands.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families. You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all consuming family focus. They were glad you played by yourselves. They were busy discovering the post war world. You entered the world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered. Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it. You cane of age in the ‘50s and ‘60s. You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland. Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 and Korea when the World was secure and full of bright promises. You grew up in the best possible time and the World was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times.” If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people in the world who were born in this special 16-year time span. You are a 1%’er!
Just Sayin…RJS
Memories from a 1%er br 99% of those born between ... (
show quote)
Thanks RJ, never realized most of my generation has died! guess that's why I'm watching all these people younger than me pass.
Robert J Samples wrote:
Memories from a 1%er
99% of those born between 1930 and 1946 (worldwide)are now dead. If you were born in this time span, you are one of the rare 1%er of this special group. Their ages range from 77 to 93 years old, a 16-year age span. Interesting facts about the 1%ers: You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900s.
You are the last generation, climbing out of depression, who canc remember the Winds of War and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years. You are the last to remember ration books for everything from ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.
You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the ‘milk box’ on the porch. Discipline was enforced by both parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television, instead you ‘imagined’ what you heard on the radio. With no T.V. you spent your childhood playing outside. There was no Little League.
There was no playground for kids except in Anniston, AL where Dottie lived. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the real world was like. We got black and white T.V. in the early 1950s that had three stations and no remote.
Telephones were one per house, often shared (party line) and often hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy) our phone number was 235 red. Computers were called calculators; they were hand cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.
Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. (Your dad gave you the comics when he was reading the news. New highways would bring new jobs. Most highways were two lanes (no Interstate). You went downtown to shop. If you lived in town you walked to school. The radio network expanded from three stations to thousands.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families. You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all consuming family focus. They were glad you played by yourselves. They were busy discovering the post war world. You entered the world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered. Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it. You cane of age in the ‘50s and ‘60s. You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland. Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 and Korea when the World was secure and full of bright promises. You grew up in the best possible time and the World was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times.” If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people in the world who were born in this special 16-year time span. You are a 1%’er!
Just Sayin…RJS
Memories from a 1%er br 99% of those born between ... (
show quote)
Nicely put RJ. To my mind, better times in most ways.
Robert J Samples wrote:
Memories from a 1%er
99% of those born between 1930 and 1946 (worldwide)are now dead. If you were born in this time span, you are one of the rare 1%er of this special group. Their ages range from 77 to 93 years old, a 16-year age span. Interesting facts about the 1%ers: You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900s.
You are the last generation, climbing out of depression, who canc remember the Winds of War and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years. You are the last to remember ration books for everything from ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.
You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the ‘milk box’ on the porch. Discipline was enforced by both parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television, instead you ‘imagined’ what you heard on the radio. With no T.V. you spent your childhood playing outside. There was no Little League.
There was no playground for kids except in Anniston, AL where Dottie lived. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the real world was like. We got black and white T.V. in the early 1950s that had three stations and no remote.
Telephones were one per house, often shared (party line) and often hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy) our phone number was 235 red. Computers were called calculators; they were hand cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist.
Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. (Your dad gave you the comics when he was reading the news. New highways would bring new jobs. Most highways were two lanes (no Interstate). You went downtown to shop. If you lived in town you walked to school. The radio network expanded from three stations to thousands.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families. You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all consuming family focus. They were glad you played by yourselves. They were busy discovering the post war world. You entered the world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered. Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it. You cane of age in the ‘50s and ‘60s. You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland. Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 and Korea when the World was secure and full of bright promises. You grew up in the best possible time and the World was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times.” If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people in the world who were born in this special 16-year time span. You are a 1%’er!
Just Sayin…RJS
Memories from a 1%er br 99% of those born between ... (
show quote)
Glad to be one of those 1% ers!!
I remember a lot of what's in the story. But don't like the 1%.
The part about imagining: Years ago the was an advertisement about radio. The tag line was “I saw it on the radio”. How appropriate!
In the motorcycle world 1% ers are something else entirely.....like Hells Angels.
Great info RJ! I am a model 38er and can really relate to this. Proud to be a 1%er!
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