Talk of The Villages Florida - Those were the days

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But then again there was a lot of things wrong in the 50's that had to be fixed, most of them were. And getting things fixed and changed in itself was a pleasant thing that some apparently have forgotten how to do.

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Originally Posted by ugotme (Post 716725)

I think we had several "Archies and Ediths" including my own parents! LOL

Did that make you "Meathead"?

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Originally Posted by jblum315 (Post 716740)

I had a 57 Chevy Impala convertible. My father had wanted to buy me a Corvette, but I told him it just wasn't practical.

a 57 IMPALA??? Sorry, don't think you did.

You either had a 57 Bel Air, or perhaps a 58 Impala.

Regardless, either one would have been a sweeeet car to have. You must have been proud!.

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Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 717138)

I "hear you" totally.........both of my grandmothers were widowed young.

My mom always told me that her mother would NOT take "relief" as they called welfare in those days.......she took in laundry instead, to support her three children when her young 37 year old husband died during the influenza epidemic. She was too proud to take any handouts.

My other grandmother was also widowed during the flu epidemic with 7 children to raise.......plus her two little brothers who had come from Italy when their own mother died.........my grandmother managed to raise the 9 children without relief.....again, too proud. The older two found work and helped support the family. Also, aunts and uncles helped out.

Also, as you mention.........churches helped families in need.

Back then, they no doubt lived a more humble existence compared to all the luxuries we are now surrounded by.

Those two grandmothers of yours lost their husbands in the flu epidemic. That was 1917 or so. Were there government agencies dedicated to helping the poor at that time? Social Security or food stamps were not around, I know.

My grandmother lost her husband in the flu epidemic in 1917 also and raised 6 children. They were Quakers so their church pitched in like an extended family and this was in Kansas where they were farmers.

I have heard many stories, though, of people back then losing the breadwinner and the family had to give their children away in order to survive.

No, those were not "the good old days". People did what they had to do to survive.

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Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 717122)

I think my boyfriend (now husband) paid $350 for his.....but his mom bought a Plymouth for $35. Can you believe it? Considering what cars cost today. Later, my dad gave him a '55 Chevy when he could no longer drive it. Both were two tone, kind of pale aqua greenish.

Our Chevy took us everywhere back in 1962 and beyond.....but once the "rear end" of the car konked out and he had to drive backwards.......I swear. He did fix it. Another time we had borrowed his mom's Plymouth and we were just getting off the N.J. Turnpike when the steering wheel came out of it's whatever........and he had to shove it back down and press in order to get off the highway and make the turn.........I was so relaxed back then........now I'd probably have a heart attack if the steering wheel came out.

Thanks for posting this. I got a great laugh and rememberance from it.
I didn't think anyone would believe you could buy a car that cheap but it happened.
I can also identify with the steering wheel problem and rear end. Now that's funny! A Ford I had back then would occasionally lose the brakes since their system used a single master cylinder instead of the duals used by GM and all the later vehicles. It's a horrible feeling when you press the brakes and they're not there! I learned how to coast down to a stop and learned how to drive without brakes (yes it can be done). That's why today I cringe when someone runs up behind me and doesn't apply the brakes until the last minute. i was also rearended that way once so I tend to start stopping way ahead of time since the early days of no brakes, to the aggravation of those behind me. :laugh: