When Your Mother Wore Housecoats (Republish to Groups)

In 1952, Eisenhower was in the White House, ranches and bungalows sprung up everywhere, men wore Hawaiian shirts on Fridays and gave barbecues on Sunday afternoons. In 1952, women stayed home to mind the baby and left the baby outside in the carriage while at the grocery store. In 1952, women wore skirts and men wore pants, and women kept their money in little envelopes and made "Hamburger Helper" for dinner. And when Grandmother became old, she lived with your family. Oh, those were the good ole days when your mother wore housecoats.

In 1962, Kennedy was in the White House, and society was living off of borrowed time. Sputnik had gone up and come down, the Cold War was raging and everyone was building "Bomb Shelters." In 1962, Elvis Presley was no longer the King of Rock and Roll and The Beach Boys was no longer the hottest music group in America. In 1962, far too few paid attention to that beginning groundswell of folk music, racial incidents and the stirrings of feminism. In 1962, McCarthyism still left a putrid taste in the mouth. Oh, those were the good ole' days when your mother still wore housecoats.

In 1972, Nixon was in the White House and JFK, RFK and MLK had been blown to smithereens. Your sister had burned her bra, your brother had burned his draft card, and you had marched on Washington. In 1972, men not in college were killed in Vietnam and college kids had been killed at Kent State. In 1972, your mother went back to college to finish her degree, and then apply to law school. Oh, those were the good ole' days when your mother still wore house coats – to clean.

In 1982, Reagan was in the White House and people wondered where the 'trickle down effect' had gone. Ketchup became a vegetable and money shifted to the Corporate world. Hippies had given way to Yuppies, Yuppies gave way to Greed and a new, richer middle class was born. In 1982, your mother went back to work full-time, hiring someone to watch the kids. Oh, those were the good ole' days when your grandmother wore housecoats.

In 1992, Clinton was in the White House and the World Wide Web had just been born. Your mother now earned enough to buy a fancy SUV, pay for a mortgage and hire a nanny to watch the kids. Your father now earned enough to buy a fancy SUV, pay for a mortgage and pay the taxes. Together, they barely made it with all that money. In 1992, corporate downsizing had just begun and your folks were partying like it was 1992. In 1992, your mother ordered take-in and put a video on for the kids to watch while she did the dishes. Oh, those were the good ole' days when your grandmother still wore housecoats.

In 2002, George W. Bush was in the White House and all hell had broken loose. Ground Zero was not yet cleaned up, the economy worsened and Bush talked of war. Far too few paid attention to that tiny groundswell of folk music, racial incidents and the recurring stirrings of long-dormant feminism. In 2002, everybody believed that something should be done, but nobody knew what to do. In 2002, your parents downsized to a condo and moved your Grandmother to an assisted living facility. Oh, those were the good ole' days when your grandmother wore housecoats – in assisted living.

In 2012, the war in Iraq had been going on for 9 years, and U.S. casualties reached 250,000. Cindy Sheehan had been arrested and released every year. Far too few of us paid any attention at all to that minimal groundswell of folk music, racial incidents and the stirrings of political upheaval at the polls. Everywhere, people were dissatisfied, but nobody did anything. That was the year your parents retired, with not enough left over to live the dreams they were promised so long ago. In 2012, your mother stayed home to mind the grandchildren and kept her money in little envelopes.  Oh, those were the good ole' days when your mother wore your grandmother's housecoats.