"O" - SHE WANTED TO LIVE NEAR THE OCEAN

Water activities ruled!  Everyone swam, skied, floated down rice canals - anything to be in or near water.  Teenagers gathered at Cow Creek to picnic and swim, and sometimes traveled to McFaddin or Gilchrist beach.  There was a "Miss Water Sports - 1959" beauty contest in Orange, Texas, that most of the high school girls entered.   

"N" - SHE WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS (NURTURE)

  I enjoyed taking care of my dolls - "Kay", a Toni doll that survived many permanents and shampoos; "Barbara", a Madame Alexander ballerina that arrived in a pink satin and net tutu, and an 8" Vogue Ginny doll that I especially loved.  I made clothes for "Ginny", and kept her outfits washed, starched and ironed.   

"M" - SHE WANTED TO BE A MOM

I could hardly wait to be a mom, although I didn't really know what that meant!   I wanted a boy and a girl as in the song "Tea For Two" - they would be twins named Jimmy and Jane.

"L" - SHE WANTED SOMEONE TO LOVE

She was in love with love.  She was in love many times and her feelings sometimes changed in one day.  She was eager to find "the one" who was supposed to be just around the corner. 

"K" - SHE WANTED TO BE KISSED

What can I say about this?  We all wanted to be kissed.   We could hardly wait to be kissed.  My first real kiss was in the ninth grade which seems so very young now.

"J" - SHE KEPT JOURNALS AND SCRAPBOOKS

I was encouraged by my mother to keep journals and scrapbooks containing things that interested me or caught my eye - mostly cut from magazines.  Prized images and writings were usually arranged haphazardly and glued for posterity.   

"I" - HER IMAGE WAS IMPORTANT

We spent hours trying to look our best and wanted others to agree that we'd done a good job!

"H" - SHE MUST FIND A HUSBAND

If a girl didn't meet her potential husband by the time she graduated from high school, it was imperative to find one in college.  The age of twenty-five was considered a cut-off date to avoid being referred to as an "old maid".

"G" - SHE WANTED TO WEAR GLASSES

I wanted to wear glasses mostly because my older sister received so much attention when she got her first pair.  Very few of our friends wore glasses during the Fifties and no one wore contacts.

"F" - MONEY DIDN'T GROW ON TREES

Money didn't grow on trees, but she was financed first by her parents and then her husband.

"E" - SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER ENTERPRISE

The Fifties Female knew how to be resourceful, to stay within her family budget and make do with less if necessary.  She would have been a CEO today.

"D" - HER DADDY GAVE HER AWAY

In traditional Southern weddings, the Father of the Bride received much more limelight than the mother of the Bride.  The Father walked his Daughter down the aisle (an usher escorted the mother) and stood at the alter before He "gave Her away" (the mother was already seated).  He gave a toast at the reception (the mother listened) before He and the Bride shared the first dance (the mother danced later).      

"C" - LIFE WASN'T ALWAYS EASY!"

I try to be positive and focus on happy instances that occurred while growing up.  There are quite a few less than happy memories I would just as soon forget. 

"B" - SHE WANTED TO WEAR A BRA

Because movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield received so much attention, most young girls hoped to be voluptuous someday.  We certainly didn't want to remain flat-chested for the rest of our lives..

"A" - SHE WANTED TO BE KIND!

Fifties girls were supposed to be "nice", and there were plenty of rules to guide us - the Golden Rule, Ten Commandments plus articles and books written about etiquette.  And, of course, pleasing parents was paramount.   It just wasn't possible to continually get an "A" for behavior.!

REVIVALS

During the Fifties, many religious revivals were held in large tents.  I attended one and especially remember the heat and the mosquitoes and someone walking who had been crippled.  The speaker asked for donations.  He claimed if we didn't give our money to his ministry, "the Lord would come and take your purse away".  That statement must have had a profound effect on me.  For months afterward, I used all of my allowance to buy purses at Woolworth's.  

VARIED TERRAIN

 Daddy and I left for St. Louis, right after my "tacky" birthday party (the guests were asked to dress in an unusual manner).  The two of us rode in our green piano truck with Clayton Smith Pianos painted in big black letters on each side.  The purpose of the trip was to purchase used upright pianos to repair and sell in the store.  At night, we parked along the highway and slept in the back of the truck.  Since I had never traveled beyond the Gulf Coast,  the hilly terrain we encountered was a huge surprise.   Daddy let me eat french fries at every meal the entire trip.

TWO CUTE CHICKS

During the Fifties, girls were referred to as "cute chicks" and boys were "cool cats".

MOONLIT STROLL

 My parents and I took a leisurely, but guarded walk on a country road in Louisiana. We knew to be cautious of creatures that "came out" at night; however, were shocked when an armadillo darted out of the bushes and ran up Mother's leg!  Mother screamed, the surprised armadillo quickly ran back down her leg, and disappeared into the bushes.  This was my only walk in the dark on a country road in Louisiana.

DADDY'S WALLET

 These photos of my family were always in Daddy's wallet.  As a child and later as an adult, I remember seeing them whenever he opened his wallet for various reasons.  The photos were still in his wallet when he died.  They are very special to me. 

A FRENCH KISS

Waiting under the arcade for classes to begin, a group of junior high school girls learned something new - a member of the group explained in detail the definition of a "French kiss".  We were shocked and couldn't believe something like that would actually take place - especially not to any of us!  We decided right then and there to forego boys and certainly never travel to Paris, France.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

One could always tell when a boy had walked his girl to her class, since the tardy bell would ring and he was caught running down the hall.  Couples wanted to be together as much as possible, and a girl considered herself lucky when her boyfriend of the moment carried her books!

THE LAST MOVE

Everyone was surprised when Mother and Daddy moved from DeRidder, to Houston - they had lived in DeRidder longer than any other town.  By then,  I had gone to college and married, and never lived in their home again.

SEEKING JAMES MEREDITH

On James Meredith's much publicized first day of class at Ole Miss, a group of adventuresome students drove from Northeast State in Monroe, LA to Oxford in hopes of witnessing that historic event.  The situation was much more dangerous and explosive than we realized - federal troops had made barricades to prevent entering MS by car.  We happily returned to Monroe, and watched the remaining news of the day on telelvision.

CULOTTES, MORE THAN A FASHION STATEMENT

Finally, in 1961, I thought it possible to wear pants to school.  It was difficult to detect that my new culottes purchased at The Standard in DeRidder, were actually pants and not a skirt.  Mother agreed - the Principal did not.  He announced over the intercom:  "Joelle Smith, would you come to the office immediately!"  I had to go home and change clothes before being allowed to return to school.

ALL GIRL BUS

Cheerleaders, pep squad members and female chaperones rode Beauregard Parish school buses to out-of-town football games.  The driver was the only male allowed on the bus.  The football games were enjoyable, but sharing food, songs and laughter while riding to the game and back home again were much more memorable.  

MURDER ON CROCKETT STREET

 I left Lonnie's School of Hair Design one afternoon during the Summer of '58, and saw a man run out of a building across the street.  Another man followed and fired a gun.  Man #1 clutched his chest and fell in the middle of the street - just as in the movies.  The street was soon filled with people including police.  I hurried to the nearby safety of our family music store.  My parents were very skeptical of  my story, but the next day, read in the Beaumont Enterprise that a man named "Banjo Red" had been murdered on Crockett Street. 

TWO-PIECE SWIM SUIT

I wanted a two-piece swim suit long before the song, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" was popular. Mother was almost convinced that it was okay, until Daddy over-heard our most recent conversation.  He sailed into my bedroom and said, "No daughter of mine will be allowed to parade around in public wearing nothing more than fancy underwear."   End of story except for the crying.

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

Marital problems were kept private behind closed doors.  Since divorce was rare and counseling non-existent, many couples must have lived unhappily ever after.

SADIE HAWKINS DAY DANCE

At last, a chance to be assured of a date even though first choice wasn't always available.  Sadie Hawkins Day was originated in "L'il Abner", a comic strip by Al Capp.   Girls did the askin' as well as the payin'.   

QUICK SAND

Quick sand was a natural and very worrisome phenomena in the South.  I was told not to struggle if I accidentally landed in quick sand, but to remain calm and unmoving until rescued.  This advice was difficult to comprehend.  

THE DRAFT

If boys didn't have a relative or family friend on the local draft board, the best way to keep a 4F classification was to excel in college and avoid as many distractions as possible.  Girls were not included in the draft.

CAT LIBRARY

A library for cats?  I must have been dreaming - cats weren't that well liked during the Fifties - dogs were definitely preferred as pets.

WE WANT A PARADE!

The Lutcher Stark High School 1958 Homecoming Parade in Orange, Texas, was cancelled because the city refused to continue giving their support.  Students, very upset at that unfair decision,  "organized" the traditional homecoming parade anyway.  Traffic signals were ignored.  After proceeding only a few blocks disaster struck - several cars were stopped by police.  Our names, phone numbers and parents' names were recorded and it wasn't long before disaster struck again!

WAITING FOR HIS CALL

Girls were not allowed to call boys - ever - so we waited near the phone in hopes it would ring - especially for certain boys to call.   

EVENING VISITOR

One summer evening before ninth grade, a neighborhood boy came over so we could listen to records.  Parents imposed ground rules:  all doors leading to the living room must remain open; no dimming of lights; and, he had to leave by 9PM.  We danced the jitterbug -  had a great time - but when cheek-to-cheek dancing commenced, Daddy decided it was "time to call it a night."

NEW NEIGHBOR

Because of the G.I. Bill, my parents were able to purchase their first home, and I could hardly wait to meet our new neighbors.  A very large dog was on the look-out for me too, and came bounding over to play.  I was terrified, jumped into an above-ground pool next door, and waited there until someone came to save me.

GOING BAREFOOT

Idyllic summers were spent running around outside without shoes - even while playing tennis.  By 1960, we wore Keds, along with white bobby socks, to high school gym classes.  Ours were blue and matched the one-piece sports uniform (bloomers?) that we were required to wear.   We still shed our shoes whenever possible.

TEXAS SNOW?

  We read about it - heard about it - but only experienced it once.   School was probably cancelled since towns in the South didn't own equipment for snow removal - plus we couldn't walk to school since our little legs would have frozen (only dresses allowed at school).  Enough snow accumulated that Daddy could make the delicious snow ice cream he learned to make in Virginia, while stationed in the Army  

HOME MOVIES

The movies my parents made were typical of the times - black and white with many imperfections.  Images were projected on a white sheet attached to our living room wall.  My parents also purchased a few readymade cartoons.  "Steamboat Willie" was a favorite as well as one about Pluto getting stuck onto many sheets of flypaper.

NOT-SO-HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

It wasn't mandatory to give valentines to everyone in my class at school; therefore, the number received was very important.  After quickly looking through my small highly decorated brown paper bag, and counting how many valentines were there, I immediately hoped that somehow after school many additional valentines, candy and flowers would be delivered to me at home to make up for my classroom deficit.

SHOPPING WITH MOTHER

Mother traded piano lessons for clothes with the owner of The Style Shop in DeRidder, LA.  It was fun to be able to pick out new outfits; however, Mother and I seldom agreeD on what should be taken home. 

TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER

 I lived right on the Texas/Louisiana border during the Fifties, and felt an affinity for both states; however, when I met and married a certain Texan in 1964, greater amounts of time were spent in Texas.

FULL SERVICE

Purchasing gas at the neighborhood service station was quite an event since self-service was not allowed.  The attendants took over and did everything thought necessary to keep our car running smoothly.   While waiting, we entertained ourselves.