My grandparents at Ocean City -- probably in the '50s |
All we did all summer, b.a/c, was try to not be hot. Actually being cool was a hopeless dream, but there were some things you could do to be less hot. You could find some shade and hope for a breeze, or lacking that, you could fan yourself with a magazine, or
sit in front of the electric fan in the house... but that just moved the hot air around, making you wind blown, but still hot. The only a/c in those days was "adjusted climate." You waited for summer to be over, in which case God did the adjusting -- or you adjusted your environment yourself, by going to the pool or the swimming hole -- or if you were truly blessed, the beach.
In my grandparents' day, a lot of people made it to the beach for summer stays. It was the custom, especially on the east coast. Well-to-do folks, imitating the Vanderbilts and Hearsts, stayed all summer in well-appointed beach houses, but even members of the humbler class like my Dad's family, saved up their money, packed up their swimsuits, and headed to the shore, too. Their digs were not as plush and they didn't get to stay all summer like wealthy folks did, but they got their chance at the ocean breezes.
My handsome dad at a swimmin' hole, probably in the late '40s |
My brother and me with our Dad in the mid '60-s |
Since I'm a late Baby Boomer, I can't lay claim to being one of the Greatest Generation, but I feel privileged to have grown up in the last "Unconnected" Generation. I was in college when computers interconnected on campus for the first time, but I have the memory of long, slow summers without air conditioning. I blog on a laptop and my flat screen TV operates wirelessly, but I remember when technology was rabbit ears on the big box TV, and we didn't have the world at our fingertips -- "Google" was a kind of peanut butter when I was a kid! We can communicate instantly with friends and family across the world now, but when I was a kid, we were tuned in to the people right at our elbow. We had no cell phones to distract us, no blogs to write, no Facebook threads to catch up on. We were fanning each other with magazines.
And we may have been hot and bored, but we were hot and bored together.
And we may have been hot and bored, but we were hot and bored together.
* Here's something fun: to find out what's happening on the beach this very minute at Ocean City, you can go take a look at the webcams at this site.
* And to check in on other beach adventures, grab your beach chair and sunscreen and head over to
Sepia Saturday, the May 17th edition!
* It was Ocean City, wasn't it? Any family members who remember the details, I'd love to know more and see if my memories are on target!
I guess hot and bored together is better than hot a bored alone.LOL
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever felt an ocean breeze but can imagine it being a wonderful feeling. My memories of the 60s summers include every household on our street sitting out on their verandas in the evening, Once the a/c came along, we rarely saw our neighbours any more.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Violet has a point. Air conditioning is a kind of isolator. I live in a beautiful area & love to be outside. But when the temperature begins to climb into the 90s & over 100,(F), the AC comes on & we stay inside. Or we head to higher ground. The air is considerably cooler above 6000 ft. elevation - usually.
ReplyDeleteGreat memories. it's so true we complain all winter about not getting outside then come summer we are inside with the AC.
ReplyDeleteWe must be a similar age, I have very similar memories and experiences of the time.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the isolation effect of mod cons. I wonder what the next generation will do.
ReplyDeleteAn enjoyable and thoughtful family story, thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhenever we visit America I long for un-air conditioned cars, houses and shopping malls. I can't keep warm!
ReplyDeleteIt's years since I saw anyone play the 'finger game' - I wonder whether today's children know what it is?
Wonderfully detailed memories! Since we lived so close to the beach, we never vacationed at the beach. Daddy's day off was Tuesday, so that's usually when we went for the day. But what did we know or care about sunscreen back then? We'd fry ourselves and go back for more the next week.
ReplyDeleteMy mother taught me that same finger game when I was little.
ReplyDelete