A Typical Day For A Teenager In The Late '50s

Leather jackets, poodle skirts, and milkshakes at the malt shop. Life wasn’t all Stepford and Leave it to Beaver in the ‘50s.

Do you even realize how much the world has changed since the baby boomers were teenagers?

Wake up on a twin-sized mattress with a full sheet set and a bed skirt

Put on your clothes and style your hair

Have to get that pompadour or perm looking just right

Head downstairs for a bowl of Trix and a glass of orange juice

Dad’s got the paper, but you grab a section

First the Korean War and now the Cold War—will there ever be peace in your lifetime?!

Say goodbye to mom and pop as you head off to classes

Gee Mom you sure are swell!

Suffer through another day of high school

Gross! What are all those parts in the Sex Ed. video?

That’s okay, you’ll be passing notes with your friend

The bell rings—freedom! School’s out for another day and it’s time to hang out with your friends

You’re at the malt shop with a handful of quarters for the jukebox

”Jailhouse Rock” is such a good song! Wonder if Elvis will actually become an actor…?

Uh-oh…you’re out of quarters for the jukebox and now the malt shop man wants you out because you’re not buying anything

Teenagers are not that scary in groups!

You’ve officially been kicked out of the shop but that’s okay, you’ll go cruising in your Ford Thunderbird

Yes! Your crush said they’d come along. Now you have a chance to ask them to go steady

You drive around, but there’s nothing in this town for teens to do

Shucks, the night’s getting late and you have to get home in time for curfew

Head upstairs and do your homework. There’s an exam coming up in Shop/Home Ec. next week

There’s also the sock hop next month. Who will you go with it?

or will you be dancing by yourself?

You can worry about that tomorrow. It’s 10pm and time for bed, but you just have to finish this chapter of William Faulkner’s “A Fable”

*Yawn* Your eyes are getting heavy

Sleep tight, and don’t let the bedbugs bite

Just imagine. A world with no iPhone, no Spotify, no Facebook, no text messages. It was a different world. If you want to make your grandparents (or parents ) day-- be sure to ask them all about it at Christmas this year!