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Written by Ron Mortimer
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Thursday, 25 August 2011 14:36 |
 I remember growing up in a world that appeared dominated by our youth– the creation of a youth culture in America. Still, there was a great interest in senior citizens.
Grandparents lived in many households, as there were few nursing homes or senior citizen centers in the vicinity. Sickly elderly people were often cared for by a son or daughter who was also raising his or her own family. It was a common occurrence that many older people died at the home of one of their children.
One of the great advantages of a child living with an older person in the home was the great knowledge and wisdom that he or she imparted to his or her grandchildren. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, we learned about the mines, railroads, Great Depression, poverty and joblessness, baseball, and the fun and games enjoyed by the senior citizens when they were young.
In addition to seniors, many fathers were World War II veterans, and although most vets said very little about the horrors of war, young people idolized their fathers and considered them heroes.
From our mothers, children learned that they worked in war-related factories, replacing the men who fought overseas. When these same women went to work after the war to help provide for their families, they found conditions less inviting. Sweatshop dress factories were established in every downtown, and those who worked there were paid low wages. Many fought the horrible conditions and risked job loss by joining unions, such as the ILGWU, the most powerful union for garment workers.
In addition to family members, there were always neighbors and distant older relatives who were always willing to spin yarns about their past, which added to the folklore of America’s past. One individual, for example, recounted stories about when he was in the movies– Gunga Din and Northwest Passage, for starters. He built movie sets and later played “extra” roles in some of them. Although many were skeptical, he had a photo album that included Paul Muni, Spencer Tracy, Jim Thorpe (the great athlete who was a stunt man in Northwest Passage), and others who posed with him in historical pictures.
Another older gentleman knew the ins and outs of local politics and spun tales of graveyard voters, missing ballot boxes, political double crosses, and the like– proof that Luzerne County did not just become corrupt a few years ago. Most of his stories were from the 1920s,
‘30s and ‘40s.
In addition to neighborhood people, there were many who would visit your house on a weekly or monthly basis- insurance men who collected their monthly fees, the rag man who tooted his horn looking for rags and metal, and the soda man (who was also the beer man). The bread man, milkman, and mailman were daily or weekly visitors. Almost every doctor made house calls. There was even a statue man who offered a new saint each month, and the parish priest also made a yearly visit to bless the house or visit the sick.
Most businesses, including markets and corner grocery stores, were in the local community, and almost all were “mom-and-pop” shops. Even some of the first supermarkets were family
businesses. Parents would often take their children downtown while they shopped in the clothing stores. Children learned to be patient and hoped to receive a comic book or toy at the local five-and-dime store as a reward for good behavior.
As young adults, many kids joined organizations– veteran, religious, ethnic, and civic groups; athletic booster clubs; volunteer fire companies; alumni associations– in which there was even more interaction with older people.
This area was not exactly Pleasantville, but there have been many changes in small town America over the years. Today, elderly people are frequently ignored by their families. People who work in nursing homes remark how some residents rarely receive visitors, even though their families are large. Mom-and-pop stores are fading into the sunset; downtown areas are devoid of shoppers; organizations struggle to enroll younger members; and few business people visit homes anymore.
Television and computers occupy so much time that there is little interaction with family and friends. Young people had greater respect for their elders. People actually knew their neighbors and conversed with them almost daily. Life was so much better when people were less greedy, less jealous, and more congenial.
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