My Parents

In 1956, seventy years ago, my parents (Ralph & Barbara Jo) got married.

Back then they watched "I Love Lucy" on a small black-and-white television set, listened to Elvis sing on 45 rpm vinyl records, and ate Cheez Whiz and Sloppy Joes. Cooking was adding mayonnaise to something. Dessert was Jell-O in a variety of shapes and colors. 

Like their friends, my parents smoked cigarettes and drank lots of liquor at boisterous parties in "finished basements". Furniture was "mid-century modern"; kitchen counters were easy-to-clean Formica.

My parents bought a house for $15,000 and cars for $1,000. Born into an unstable world in the 1930s, they were fortunate to later live through the greatest period of economic prosperity in our nation's history. They retired in their fifties and lived comfortably down in "sunny Florida" on a civil service pension.

I'm happy they had nice lives.