The 50's

A wonderful decade.

Cannot believe it was more than a half century ago, but I graduated from high school in June 1950, and started my business career. $32.50 a week! That was the usual starting salary for an office worker in those days. Amazing isn't it? $32.50 a week and I paid my daily carfare into the city, lunches, bought clothes and shoes, and paid the rent. I also managed to start saving for a TV. Not many people I knew had a TV, but that's what I wanted. I got it too. It cost $100. in Wanamaker's basement.

When the TV was delivered, my mother, who was totally deaf, announced that she would "never watch that thing!" But she did concede that it was a pretty piece of furniture - a beautiful maple cabinet with doors that closed in front of the screen, so when I wasn't there she could pretend that it was just a cabinet.

My favorite program was Perry Como's fifteen minute show in the evening. Mom ridiculed him, and all singers. She couldn't hear them, and she thought they looked ridiculous, mouthing the words. But then she discovered Jackie Gleason. She really loved him and his antics. Soon she was sitting next to me and demanding to know, "What did he just say?" I had to have a pencil and paper and quickly jot down key words so that she could follow the plot - such as it was.

Mom also loved ice skating shows. I had taken her to the Ice Capades in Philadelphia a couple of times, and here it was, right in her living room.

A few years later, when I decided to leave the nest, I told her that I was going to New York. Her first words in response to this were, "You're not going to take the TV, are you?" Gee, Mom. Nice to know you'll miss me.

The 50's were good years in my life. Those were wonderful, fun years of more serious dating and of discovering who I was and what I wanted to be. Trying new things, going new places, meeting new friends. When you're 20-something and healthy and carefree, you think you will live forever and life will always be whatever you want it to be. Well, I now know that I definitely will not live forever - But that's OK. I wouldn't want to. And life has been very good to me indeed.

Of course, I also met my husband and we married in the 50's. We bought our home, and we started our family. New York is a marvelous place to be young and in love! But then, I guess any place is a marvelous place under those circumstances. We lost Ralph in 1975, but I will always remember 1957 as if it was yesterday. The 50's were a beautiful decade for me.