Anyone over the age of 50 knows first-hand what a jukebox was. But ask a youngster today if he or she wants a nickel for the jukebox, and you’ll get a blank stare. Boomers and jukeboxes grew up together and some of us are here because of jukeboxes, which brought our moms and dads together. In restaurants, at dance halls, at swimming pools, soda shops and fountains, there were jukeboxes. Some … [Read more...]

  As Boomers look back on a life full of memories, certain places – special places – stick out. For me, one of those special places was the beach – Atlantic Beach, NC, not far from Camp Lejeune. My Aunt Anne and Uncle Sidney had a small cottage in Morehead City, just across Bogue Sound from Atlantic Beach. Every June, after school let out, we packed the family Pontiac sedan with … [Read more...]

I was in the canned goods section of the grocery store last week when I saw – on the top shelf – a display of Campbell’s Pork and Beans. I had not had any in years, so I plucked off a can, plopped it in my cart and the memories swirled. When I was a kid, we had pork and beans probably at least once a week – they went with everything, especially chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. They were … [Read more...]

My first memory of drinking beer was at Atlantic Beach in North Carolina. I was about 12 or 13 and Mom and Dad were having a beer and a sandwich out on the deck of a restaurant overlooking the ocean while I and my siblings were dodging the crashing waves. I came up to see them and watched Daddy drinking a Schlitz. I asked for a sip, he handed me the can. I grimaced as the ice-cold beverage slid … [Read more...]

  Bubble gum was one of the basic food groups for young Boomers. We grew up with the pink, sweetened stuff and we took pride in blowing huge bubbles. The world’s record for a bubblegum bubble, by the way, is over 26-inches in diameter. We chewed the stuff from morning till night, but not in school. It was a strict no-no to chew bubble gum in class because the teachers knew that it … [Read more...]

We have a small front porch at our house where we have squeezed two rocking chairs and a wicker love seat amid the jungle of Nancy’s assorted house plants. We don’t sit on the porch often, mostly when it rains. It rained hard yesterday afternoon, and we found our way to the porch where we sat quietly, watching the cars move up and down the street, some faster than others. We also watched the birds … [Read more...]

  “Yes, Mom, I did lose all my marbles. Jimmy Ray Smith used a steely and wiped me out.” “But I just bought you a whole bag of marbles two days ago.” “I know, Mom. Can you buy me another bag, and a big steely to go with it? Next time, maybe I’ll win all the marbles.” Many Boomers will recognize the above conversation because there was once a childhood sport called marbles that was … [Read more...]