Growing Up in the 70's

During this time of year, I always like to flip through my old photo albums and reminisce about the "Good 'Ol Days". I grew up in the 70's, one long decade of fashion don'ts. But there were LOTS of good things about the 70's that make me feel as warm as a fresh Easy Bake Oven cake. I still remember my Snoopy electric toothbrush. And the pink bicycle with the banana seat and the plastic basket with flowers on it. That bike was the best bike EVER. It even had ribbons in the ends of each handle. Badass! I remember watching "The Hardy Boys", and wondering why Shaun Cassidy was such a big deal...I liked Parker Stevenson MUCH more! The Love Boat and Fantasy Island and Happy Days and Little House on the Prairie. We loved Laura Ingalls and HATED Nellie Olsen. That whole town needed to open up a big old-fashioned barrel of whoop-ass on that little girl! I had a Florence Henderson shag haircut, and my sister Robin sported the "Dorothy Hamill". My Snoopy sleeping bag was just awesome, printed with "Happiness Is" sayings that I would read until I fell asleep every night. We wore ponchos and gauchos and halter tops, and bell-bottoms that our mom made for us. ***Note: Never wear ball-bottoms while you're riding a bike. Just ask my sister why.*** The electronic game Simon probably started our obsession with computer games, and "Pong" sealed the deal. Then came Space Invaders, Breakout, Asteroids, and Tailgunner. Just how many quarters do you suppose we lost playing those? I spent hours in the backyard on my metal swing set with the trapeze, swinging high enough to rock the whole thing, having to catch myself before it tipped over. I learned to make ribbon barrettes, and had them in every imaginable color. I remember keeping a comb in my back pocket, not that I ever used it, but it was just cool at the time. I carried a metal lunchbox to school, not plastic. Again, Snoopy. Gotta love the Snoopmeister! My cousin Margaret Ann and I would argue over which of the Dukes of Hazzard boys was our boyfriend. We both wanted John Schneider, so we would leave it up to the Magic 8 Ball to decide. We learned that although the Magic-8 ball knows and sees all, it rarely gives good advice. I completely wore out my soundtracks of Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame on VINYL! I tape recorded songs off the radio by holding a portable tape player up to my speaker. I remember actually thinking that Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics, and we ALL wanted to be Solid Gold dancers! We went to church day camp during the summer, and came home with arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom. I got the Weekly Reader in the mail, and couldn't wait to get the free animal poster that came with it. I remember my Big Wheel with the brake on the side, my Sit-n-Spin, and my Inchworm. I loved that thing! I broke my sister's Baby Alive doll, and her wicker thong flip flops. I spent almost all of my allowance on Tiger Beat magazines and candy cigarettes. *sigh* It was great era, wasn't it? Today, I am thankful that I was a child of the 70's.