My father used to frame his opinions with small talk about the little things from his youth. He'd let anyone know that the root of our 1950's and '60's lifestyle had a direct link to some small event, idea, or innovation of the 1930s or '40s.
I didn't understand this obsession with little things from such a distant past. After all, he had lived the big things like the depression, coal mine disasters, and Omaha beach.
Now that a few decades have come and gone in my life, I understand.
I find myself saying similar things, but with the 1960s as my point of reference. I'm not talking about the big headlines here…things like "the war", "protests" and "rights movements." I'm talking about the seemingly insignificant that personal history has shown to be anything but meaningless.
Little things affect our lives, and then, help define us.
Certainly the 1960's reflected big change in hyper motion. Big issues emerged and were resolved. But it was the thousands of little things defined a whole generation…the '60's generation.
I am a first year baby boomer, and a card carrying member of that generation. Chances are so are you.
If you were born in the 1940's, or the early 1950's, then you qualify as a true, first tier member of this club with nearly 65,000,000 members. We went to elementary school…graduated from high school…graduated from college…got a job in the mill…got married…served in the military…had a child (or two, or three)…and watched a whole bunch of "big things" swirl around us.
Issues get resolved, but, the little things…they endure.
They shape the way we think…the way we see right and wrong…and the way we handle life's up and downs. Little things define our generation. Check out this year by year example.
1960
" The Andy Griffith Show debuted. (I still watch this every day!)
" There were only 2,000 computers in use. (I use three different ones daily!)
" The Grammy's awarded album of the year to Bob Newhart for "Button Down Mind." (And, no he didn't sing. He told jokes.)
1961
" Bob Dylan debuted at the Gaslight Café in New York City. (He shared the stage with blues legend John Lee Hooker, and most reviews made fun of him.)
" Ray Kroc started McDonald's. (Remember how it was a family event to go there?)
1962
" Sam Moore Walton opened the first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas. (Experts said it was a doomed business model.)
" K-Mart opened as well. (The automobile culture was now changing shopping habits.)
1963
" AT & T revolutionized telephones with the first touch tone. (Of course this led to automated telemarketing calls.)
" New Hampshire held the first state lottery. (Think state supported gambling will really succeed?)
" The US Postal Service introduced zip codes. (And it wasn't long until two a day delivery went by the wayside.)
1964
" Pop Tarts were introduced by Kellogg. (Both Mom and Dad were working outside the home in greater numbers.)
" The Ford Mustang debuted. (Drove the first in my hometown!)
" Bewitched won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy. (Don't wink your nose at this one.)
1965
" WINS in New York City launched the first all news broadcast format. (Now we know who to blame for all the "opinion journalists" on cable television today.)
" Frank Sinatra won Album of the Year…again. (He actually outdid Elvis and the Beatles during the early to mid 1960s.)
1966
" Star Trek premiered on NBC. (It was only mildly popular as you may recall.)
" The NFL agreed to a merger with the fledgling AFL, and the "Super Bowl" concept was born. (This is one that didn't go wide right.)
1967
" The Public Broadcast System was born. (Remember it had no commercials!)
" Smoking popularity peaked with 210 packs a year for each adult. (Smoking was considered cool and romantic).
" The Chevy Camaro was launched. (It sold for a whopping $2,500.)
1968
" The 911 emergency telephone system was introduced. (It started here in New York.)
1969
" The Woodstock Musical and Arts Fair started out as a little thing, and then rocked the world. (I was a young Air Force officer stationed on a SAC base at the time.)
" The GAP was founded. (Jeans go mainstream.)
Little things. Defining things. '60's generation things. Hey Dad, I understand.
A former advertising agency owner for over 35 years, today John D. Moore is a branding consultant focusing on teaching, mentoring and advising small business owners. (716) 631-2023. john@jdmpromotions.com . He is also a singer/songwriter with Americana musical duo BluesRoot. He currently has a CD, "Live. Real. In the moment." in international distribution. . www.bluesroot.net. rootmaster@bluesroot.net. This column first appeared in After50News.
