Musings of an Eisenhower Baby

What it is. What it is, to those of you born during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Kindred spirits, for us the sands of time are running through the hourglass at an accelerated rate with no outstretched hand to turn it over and begin anew. Not enough time. Time is running out.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Rotary Dial Phones – especially the Pink Princess phone in my parents’ bedroom

Transistor Radios — portable and cool

S&H Green Stamps — Too much licking and sticking

Drive-In Movies — Dr. Zhivago

Ed Sullivan — I only really recall the little mouse Topo Gigo

Mitch Miller — Everyone in my neighborhood watched just to see Leslie Uggams.

Lawrence Welk – hated him, but my parents loved him so I had to watch

1964 World’s Fair – My Dad took me and all I remember is the animatronics Abraham Lincoln

Records: 78s, 33 1/3rds, 45s

RCA Magnavox TV with the tubes

Walter Cronkite

Huntley/Brinkley

Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelson

Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Show, The Million Dollar Movie, The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond

St. Josephs Asprin for Children

Fletchers Castoria

 Rheingold Beer

Schaffer Beer

Yes I do remember the jingles that went with both beers. No my parents did not allow me to partake.

 Wattstax

 The Automat – Through the small glass displays you’d choose your food selection and put in your quarter for a tasty meal. My Dad used to take me there all the time.

But with the passage of time and golden memories comes the passing of friends, family & co-workers who left way too soon while only in their 40s, 50s & 60s. I hate to pick up the phone or read my messages on Facebook for fear of hearing about another death. A close girlfriend from my previous job died last year of a massive heart attack at age 51 leaving behind her husband and three children. That scared and upset me so badly.

I had my own brush with death at age 49 on Nov. 7, 2008. My blood pressure had shot up to nearly 200 on both the upper and lower numbers. I had the worst headache of my life and I lost sight in my left eye. As I lay in the emergency room on that gurney my life literally passed before my eyes. The damage to my vision was so bad that I was blind in my left eye until I had retina surgery Jan. 2010. Some of my vision was restored but I will never be able to see the way I used to. Had to give up driving. There went some of my youthful freedoms.

I always thought time was on my side. Never thought I would become ill or disabled, however my DNA laughed at me. The very things my parents had that caused them to die in their mid-60s caught up to me and my brother. Genetics makes you reevaluate everything; past, present and future. When I turned 50 in 2009 I realized I had lived more than half my life and wasn’t going to live another 50 years.  That’s when the race against time began.

Since I do have a chronic illness and suffer from chronic pain, there is definitely a sense of urgency to get everything done before these diseases snuff out my life. In order to accomplish my goals I’ve had to make critical changes in my lifestyle. I must watch what I eat, stay away from negative people, stand up for myself, and get my priorities in order. I’ve been fortunate in that my family came to live with me last year. I finally had to admit I couldn’t do certain activities on my own anymore and needed help. That’s another revelation, admit you need help and go get the help. Too much pride will kill you.

We Eisenhower and Kennedy babies have said countless Goodbyes to our parents, the Greatest Generation. That wonderful generation prior to ours who suffered through the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean Conflict, and Jim Crow to pave the way for us to have opportunities they could only dream about.

Now we pick up the banner and hopefully pave the way for the Millennials who are the future while still reaching forth for our hopes, dreams, & goals. Children born in the 50s & 60s raise your bottles of L’Oreal and Clairol high; and to paraphrase the 5th Dimension Let’s enter into the Age of Aquarius while flying Up, Up, & Away in our Beautiful Balloons!!