65 And Still Alive

 

Last week, I turned 65 years old.

I remember when that was old. When my parents turned 65, they told of days of yore when they would have to use the outhouse.

They also spoke about the days when they would walk to school uphill, both ways, even in the snow. And they loved it! It was much better than having to ride in a so-called school bus. But who doesn't love a school bus?

I have relayed my tale of woe to my son about how we would have to get up from our seats to "change" the channel when we wanted to watch something else.

We had three main channels in Atlanta. 2 (NBC), 5 (CBS),  and 11 (NBC).  If President Johnson decided to give an address to the nation, you had to forget about "Flipper" that night.

"Flipper" was a TV show about these kids in Florida (no Mom) and they had a "pet" dolphin named Flipper because, really, what else are you going to name a dolphin? Flipper got the kids out of all sorts of trouble because, follow closely, Flipper was "faster than lightning".

Life was tough back then.

One thing the show "Mad Men" got right was how ubiquitous smoking was back then.  Everybody smoked when I was a kid, even the kids. 

Everybody had their own "brand" of cigarettes.

I remember Old Man Manis smoking Winstons because they tasted good like a cigarette should. At least, I think it was Winstons. It may have been Pall Malls.  All of the cigarettes brands sort of blend in together. Except for Virginia Slims, which was marketed for women. Steve Martin said they had breasts.

My mom smoked whatever was on sale or those with coupons on the back that you could save and turn in for a prize when you had a certain amount.  I know we redeemed the coupons a couple of times, but I don't remember the item being such a big deal that if Mom had given up cigarettes for a couple of months, she could have bought it at K-Mart. 

Ah yes, K-Mart.  Or as my Aunt Lizabeth called it, "K-Marks".

K-Mark was the Wal-Mart before Wal-Mart.  It was a big deal in Marietta, across the street from the structure that put us on the map: The Big Chicken.

The Grand Opening of K-Mart was a big deal. They had Buck Owens perform. Jayne Mansfield was there, too.  

Mom was not a fan of Jayne's and said Jayne was drunk during her appearance.  I don't know how she could tell because we were standing somewhere in Kennesaw for this grand opening. But when your mom tells you someone was drunk, buddy, you can take that to the bank. 

We all rode in cars that had few, if any, seat belts. But the cars were cool back then.

My cousin had a Corvette.  It was really a snazzy car, particularly for a family that was not into being snazzy.

His twin sisters shared a Corvair, which they got as a graduation present.  Ralph Nader said the Corvair was unsafe at any speed.  It wasn't a pretty car, but they survived having a Corvair.

We were Plymouth people. One year, Old Man Manis brought home a Plymouth Fury, which was as big as the state of Rhode Island. It was a massive car that later both my brother and I drove. 

Mom's car was a Plymouth Valiant with a push-button transmission.  Never let it be said we didn't live in the future.  By the way, this was the car Mom ran over my brother's cat with that honestly was more gruesome than the Mason murders. 

When you reach 65, you begin to look back and feel grateful.  For all of their imperfections and quirks, my parents did the best they could with what they had.  We had meals every day, a place to stay and sleep, and we never had to worry about whether someone would come home.

We didn't worry about crime that much. We rode our bicycles without helmets. As a seven-year-old, I would walk by myself to a convenience store a mile away to get a treat, even though the house was full of treats.

I've survived Atlanta traffic, high school, college, work, play, and various home projects where I didn't know what I was doing.

I've been fortunate to have an amazing wife. We have a great kid, who in turn gave us probably the best baby ever born on earth. 

I was born in the greatest country in the history of man, at the greatest time, with the greatest music and entertainment.  I have no complaints. 

Now, if those kids would just get off my lawn.