Published: May 13, 2008 11:05 pm            

Some things made good old days good

Do you long for the good old days? Think about it.

Remember when we first started driving a car and gas was a whopping 29 cents a gallon? We figured we’d better leave the car in the ga-rage and take a bicycle or walk ra-ther than pay that exorbitant price.

When we went to the movies and heard Clark Gable say “damn” in “Gone With the Wind,” we were shocked. We are getting almost calloused to the filthy language of today. It is in nearly every show on television and the movies. Where does it end?

Back then we thought those duck- tail haircuts the kids wore were awful. We knew it was the start of being punk kids and before long they might be wearing their hair as long as girls wear theirs. How did they keep it groomed and clean? Re-member when parents begged and bribed their young men to get a haircut and look “presentable?” And remember how tacky we thought the Beatles looked when they first came to America? Wouldn’t it be great now if all young men were that well groomed and in suits and ties, instead of baggy shorts hanging as low as possible with their underwear showing?

The first car I ever bought new with my own money was a little white Volkswagen. I remember some people thinking buying a German-made car might open the door to a whole lot of foreign business. Little did I know I was a trend setter. I purchased it because it was inexpensive and got good gas mileage. Does that sound familiar? Nowadays nearly everything we purchase is imported goods made elsewhere in the world and few things actually are manufactured in America. What ever happened to made in the United States labels? We seldom see them. If we bought only American-made products we would sure change the economy for all countries involved.

There was a time if a woman worked out of the home people felt sorry for the family because the woman was forced to help make ends meet. Who could every foresee woman would become productive career women and actually hire someone else to raise their children?

When we were going through some of Mother’s and Daddy’s old papers, we found a check in the amount of $75 for the entire hospital bill and doctor when I was younger and had my appendix removed. That hardly would pay for doctor’s office visit now. Back then one stayed in the hospital for at least a week to 10 days for a simple operation, and we wondered why we were so weak when we went home to recuperate. Now we know it is much better to keep moving and get on our feet soon after an illness or surgery.

Food was much cheaper back then, but so were salaries. We raised most of our own food and seldom depended on the grocery stores to furnish vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, butter or cream or many other things. Most people purchased only staples of sugar, flour and baking powder, and seldom spent more than the cream and eggs brought at the creamery, never over $20. Occasion-ally we bought “town bread” and bologna just for a treat. The grocer usually gave candy or bubble gum to express his appreciation.

Remember when we thought it was ridiculous to have to pay 10 cents to mail a letter? A post card was only 1 cent and if you wrote small enough you could get everything said on that post card. We didn’t write personal messages anyway, so it didn’t matter the postman and our neighbors knew our business.

We had a phoneline we shared with at least eight others. We cranked the phone and talked to “central” and told her what number we wanted and she connected us. We didn’t use the phone for idle chit-chat. It was only for emergencies and changes in plans. If someone used it for visiting, we never felt bad about asking them to hang up so we could place an important call. Everybody cared and listened in to see what the emergency was and responded accordingly.

When people traveled they stayed in tourist courts. They were not furnished very fancy but it was a chance to get away from home for a few days. Most people took along their own food as drive-in restaurants were few and far between and it was difficult to know where a really good, reasonable restaurant was for a family. Every car had a fabric water bag hanging on the front. If it was hot, everyone had wet circles on their backs when they got out of the car, because we didn’t have air conditioning back then and we weren’t used to it. We had a wonderful time seeing the countryside. It was a change of pace and it felt good to get back home to chores and a regular routine.

It might be fun to live in the past and go back to those simpler days with simple ways, but we would sacrifice all the creature comforts we now take for granted. Salaries, if any, were very low and people worked hard with fewer tools and conveniences. Women and men worked sunup to sundown with few breaks in between. Fun and pleasures had to be woven into work because there was no time off from chores, as livestock had to be cared for daily in all kind of weather.

The good times of the past always seemed to center around the huge dining-room table. All the family gathered around it three times a day for meals. It was the hub of activity with homework and family bookkeeping and sewing projects. Somewhere along the line we are losing those family ties of eating and doing things together. Those are the things that made the good old days good.

Food preparation does not have to be complicated to bring the family together. It is the sharing that makes it taste good and it is fun for all ages. This can be cooked by the time the table is set, the salad made and the iced tea glasses filled.



Mexican Casserole



1 pound ground beef

1 small onion

1 (16 ounce) can Ranch-style beans

1 can Spanish rice

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1⁄2 cup crushed corn chips

Brown beef with onion and drain if necessary. Add beans and rice and place in casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese and corn chips on top. Bake about 20-30 minutes in 350-degree oven.



Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702.