We lived in Alabama from January of 1961 til June of 1965. Middle of fifth grade til the end of ninth. I have some of the most wonderful memories of those years. Biking, skating, the beginning of the skateboarding era, basketball, baseball, horseback riding, camping, swimming, the local pool hall, motorcycles, fireworks, the beginning of flirting...all the things that make junior high so pivotal in the growing up process.
I grew 7 inches in those four years to six feet. Here was one of our Sunday we are going to church pictures. Dig the fake napkin in the pocket, the white socks showing how quickly the pants got short in those years, and I think, my first efforts to let the hair grow and tackle the cowlicks on my head. My sisters will no doubt have thoughts about their own garb that Sunday.
It was a very segregated society, our schools, their schools, our part of town to shop and their streets, our restaurants and theirs. Other than our ironing maid we borrowed from a neighbor when my mom went to work to help with laundry I never knew or spoke to any black person my own age unless being served in some way.
4 comments:
Really interesting, Don, to get a first-hand account of life back then when the world & its prejudices were (outwardly) so different.
We lived in Alabama from the summer of 1963 until 1966 in Hunstville. Perhaps since it was the hub of the space program it did not seem quite so "down south" but I did have a black maid and that was the only black I interfaced with--Eden
Mom couldn't have cut off our heads this time!!! What is that On my head???? I remember the dress. I bought in Macy's on my first trip to NYC.
Oh My Gosh! Somehow I missed getting pictures from those times. This is fun. How come I'm not so skinny now?
Janet
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