DAILY DIRT: Growing up a boomer might not have been easy, but it sure was entertaining

September 18, 2024 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

Ward being a little too hard on the Beaver was a staple for Boomers growing up as they watched "Leave it to Beaver" and other shows in black and white.

I always hated having to get up to change the TV station … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,063 of The Daily Dirt

1. Attention, fellow boomers!

How many of the following rekindle memories of your formative years?

For most in younger age brackets, it’s likely next-to-impossible to realize these were everyday occurrences, a part of our daily lives. But they were. Sit back, relax and just try to imagine …

Yes, there was actually life before cell phones, when reaching out to someone meant having to dial a rotary phone. Calling someone took patience and a steady hand, especially if the number being dialed contained multiple “9’s” and “0’s”. Dialing those numbers was often a real test of endurance.

Television channels — what few there were when boomers were kids — would sign off late at night. The national anthem was often played, followed by a test pattern or simple static until early the following morning. Late night viewing was not an option.

Typewriters were common in many households since there no laptops (or internet) back in the day. The clack-clack-clack of the typewriter keys and “ding” of the carriage return were commonplace. Making mistakes meant using messy correction fluid or starting over. Fast typists also risked jamming the keys. And as hard as this may be to believe, typing was a required class in most high schools.

The milkman was a regular early morning visitor to many households well into the 1960s. He’d bring fresh milk, and collect empty bottles left for him on the porch.

Just about every town had “five-and-dime” stores like Woolworth’s, Newberry’s, Ben Franklin, Grant’s and others, which were eventually replaced by big-box competition like Walmart, and later (on a smaller scale) with Dollar General, Dollar Tree and similar brands. Woolworth’s, founded in 1879, was the original five-and-dime store.

Boomers grew up with relatively small black-and-white televisions, usually one per household found in the living room. There was also no remote controls, so every change of channel meant getting up and walking over to the TV set. The changing of channels also required fine-tuning to get the best reception possible. Adjusting the antenna on the TV was also necessary at times.

Pay phones were also highly commonplace. Phone booths were virtually everywhere, and depending on the length of call you were planning, a pocketful of change was usually a prerequisite.

Vinyl records were how boomers grew up listening to music. That familiar “crackling” sound when the phonograph needle was placed on the vinyl album was part of the charm.

The first electronic calculators were like magic to boomers when they were kids. Long division had never been so easy.

“Beatlemania” swept the free world in the early 1960s. There had never been anything like it before, or since. The Fab Four sparked unprecedented fan hysteria.

No seat belts were required in vehicles, even for children, which by today’s standards is borderline unbelievable.

How many of those ring a bell? If you said “all of them” you are a true boomer. Welcome to the club.

2. Did you know (Part 126)

That 3-D Doritos was a snack that didn’t survive the early 2000s, disappearing in 2004 due to low sales. Too bad the rest of the Doritos family hasn’t followed. (Not a fan.)
That Surge soda was a soft drink that also disappeared in the early 2000s, being discontinued in 2003 because of health concerns. The Coca-Cola Company originally unveiled Surge to compete with Mountain Dew. Better luck next time.
That Chuck Norris once threw a party. It traveled about six miles.
That there are 239 seats atop the Green Monster in Fenway Park, costing up to $550 per game.
That Florida State is the first team in AP football history to open a season in the top 10 and go 0-3, losing all three games to unranked opponents. Gonna be a long year in Tallahassee.

3. This week’s celebrity birthdays include:

Actor/comedian Bill Murray is 74 on Saturday. It’s hard to believe, but Murray was only on “Saturday Night Live” for three seasons (1977-78 through 1979-80).
Country singer Faith Hill is 57, also on Saturday. She and Tim McGraw have been married 27 years.
Singer Julio Iglesias will be 83 on Monday. It was 1984 when he and Willie Nelson recorded “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before”.
Musician Bruce Springsteen turns 75, also on Monday. His first top-10 hit was “Hungry Heart” in 1980.
Guitarist Juan DeVevo of Casting Crowns, the Christian pop group that has performed several times in Quincy in recent years, will be 49 on Tuesday.

Steve Thought O’ The Day

Speaking of discontinued snacks, it was exactly 20 years ago in 2004 that we lost Jell-O Pudding Pops due to an overabundance of such treats. R.I.P., Pudding Pops. You are still missed.