I Should Have Lived in the ’50s
If I could pick a decade,
Live any time I pleased,
I would have lived in the 50s,
Yes, the 50s were for me.
I should have lived in the 50s, you see,
So I could twirl in dresses all day.
I could wear beautiful gowns of chiffon and lace,
paired with pumps and tiny kitten heels that made every step full of grace.
I should have lived in the 50s,
So I could have been a domestic queen.
Baking pies and making decadent dinners,
And bringing a new meaning to the term good housekeeping.
I should have been in the 50s,
So I could live like a true lady.
Spending time on causes valuable to the community,
Being on ladies’ conventions and volunteering.
I could have baked cakes for socials,
Worked at fundraisers,
Helped out in kindergarten classes,
And made wonderful friendships with kind ladies,
Without writing a check.
I should have lived in the 50s,
because it was a time of marriage and family.
You could marry your college sweetheart without a raised eyebrow,
and no one said a word if you never wanted a career.
But if you did want a career,
it was harder, it’s true.
But I could have been a wife and mother and writer,
Without the pressure of a career or “doing something,”
Just like my idol, Madeline L’Engle.
I should have lived in the 50s,
A time of morals, values and class.
When children behaved, women were ladies,
And men opened doors and took off their hats.
I should have lived in the 50s,
so I could hop and bop in my socks,
sip on milkshakes and bite into a diner burger,
before heading to the drive in.
I should have lived in the 50s,
When innocent romance was alive.
When the boy always got the girl,
Movies ended with a sweet kiss,
And hands were held under the moonlight.
I should have lived in the 50s,
For a very vain reason, I’m afraid.
Because with my hips and bust and hourglass figure,
When it came to men, I would have had any date I pleased.
I wouldn’t have had to stress about my size,
Spend hours sweating at the gym,
Worrying about my hips and thighs,
Or trying to get stick thin.
So while I can’t go back to the 50s,
And while I enjoy things like penicillin and dishwashers of modern life,
I think I’ll try to live like a 50s lady,
Bring a little class to the folks around me.
I’ll wear some more dresses (all the better for twirling you see),
Cook some more pies,
Allow Ben to escort me about town and occasionally, maybe–
stop worrying about the size of my thighs.
Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a new Pet Shop story and Thursday, a delectable recipe that will leave you drooling for more! Stay tuned!!!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:32 am
I am so with you daaaaaaahling, so with you!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:45 am
I could so relate until you got to hour glass figure and sadly I’m a pear shape, but how fun to twirl in those dresses!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:45 am
I’d go back to the 50s too!!
January 26th, 2010 at 4:33 am
What a great post! I really enjoyed it and loved all the pics. I was born in the late fifties but that’s about it…..(I suddenly feel very old…lol)!
January 26th, 2010 at 4:35 am
I think I already am living that way. I stay home and take care of kids, I volunteer when I can. My kids are well behaved (for the most part) and I wear skirts all the time. I am thankful for my dishwasher and for penicillin because I woke up with a sinus infection. Yuck.
January 26th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Very lovely post Miranda~
January 26th, 2010 at 5:08 am
I love those fifties dresses
January 26th, 2010 at 5:30 am
Oh, me too! I spent a summer or two just watching American Movie Classics…that was back when they actually played movies from the 40′s and 50′s! I heart Audrey Hepburn!
January 26th, 2010 at 5:30 am
I jsut loved looking at these pictures!!
January 26th, 2010 at 5:45 am
I loved this post! I definitely agree with you that the 50′s seems more like my era. I love the dresses and my shape would definitely be more appreciated.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:50 am
Some girls were Born to twirl!
January 26th, 2010 at 5:55 am
Those ladies are true beauties. My mom had that tiny figure and could pull it off. We have pictures of her in those kind of dresses.
My round shape (from my father) goes better with today’s blousy styles.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:59 am
I agree & I love the dresses. I also think we need to appreciate curves again. Bring back the curves!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:04 am
Beautiful pictures, good choice!
In this comment I virtually post these 4 images of the 50′s and 60′s: a brand new Fiat 500, a nice little “Vespa 50″, a mangiadischi, a “45 giri” record.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Stopping by from SITS. I agree with you on the 1950′s. Great time to be alive. Everything was good. Too bad that there will never be another time like that again. We must all remember and tell others who will never know.
Thanks for letting me visit.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:20 am
I just loved this post! I wish I had lived in the 50s too…all the women looked so elegant, even doing housework, and the men were always so polite. I guess that I’m just an old-fashioned girl at heart!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:31 am
I completley agree! I wish I could have grown up in the 50′s too! Such a simpler more elegant time!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Did you notice how tiny some of those women’s waists were? Wow.
My Mom was born in the 50s. She grew up loving the styles of the dresses and looking forward to when she could wear them to her high school dances. But by the time she got to highschool the styles had changed. Nothing frilly or poofy any longer. The hair styles were even just long and straight and bla. She STILL feels gyped!!!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:51 am
There are some benefits to living in a simpler time. Twirling would be fabulous….I think I would most like the ability to be a sahm and housewife without someone looking at you with pity in their eyes…lol
January 26th, 2010 at 6:58 am
Well said! (Or, written, rather–lol!) So many people–the feminazis, primarily–bash the fifties as being a time of subjection and lack of freedom. Sometimes I wonder why our “freedom” had to come with the idea of losing a sense of class? When did freedom of choice become freedom to chose between a career and motherhood but if you chose motherhood there is something wrong with you? When did sweats and baggy jeans become the motherhood uniform?
Forget trying to bring “sexy” back…how about bringing “class” back? (Besides, classy is sexy, too!)
January 26th, 2010 at 7:11 am
I couldn’t agree with you more! I always say I was born in the wrong era.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:14 am
You are a woman after my own heart. No wonder you enjoyed my 50′s night club fantasy.
PS there will be a sequel.
January 26th, 2010 at 7:23 am
I do live in the fifties. I wear dresses, although i can’t dance worth a hoot. I wear aprons, raised my children to be polite or risk the Wrath of Mom, bake bread and cakes, and am working to conquer my pie-phobia. I have no intention of conforming to “modern” ideas. Stand your Ground, Duckie! Wear Dresses and Twirl!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:25 am
You make the 50′s sound wonderful.
The fashion back then was definitely unmatched! (And it would be awfully nice to not worry about the size of my behind once in awhile.)
January 26th, 2010 at 7:43 am
A Woman’s Place is Anyplace she wants to be. That’s no matter what year it is. Be you! Be you right now.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Women were so classy and beautiful.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:32 am
I do too, love their styles, classic and feminine!
January 26th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Oh how I wish I lived in 50s.I love the way they were dressed , and the syle,that’s why I adore everything’s vintage.
I just loved this post
January 26th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Just yesterday I was thinking to heck with modern ideas, lets bring back 50s hairstyles – who’s with me?
January 26th, 2010 at 9:00 am
I’m a veteran and survivor of the 50′s and here to tell you they weren’t half bad. You’d have fit right in. The best part of it was the friendships that were formed. Careers were possible but choice was limited…Dr., teacher, nurse and strangely enough what was then called computer science. I could go on but won’t bore. Have a great day.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:21 am
I was born in the early 50′s, and it was a simpler, more positive decade, where jobs were easy to find, people believed in their future, and generally the folks who grew up in the Depression, survived WWII- were being rewarded for their hard lives…
January 26th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Not sure about that but i love the glamorous 20′s. Jane x
January 26th, 2010 at 9:44 am
For me it’s the 20s. With F. Scott Fitzgerald’s influence I have forever wanted to be a flapper!!
January 26th, 2010 at 9:44 am
I could totally see you in the 50′s! Love, love, LOVE Audrey Hepburn!
January 26th, 2010 at 9:51 am
The 40′s are for me, I love the clothes, men in uniform…seems so romatic to me.
Who Dat!
January 26th, 2010 at 10:15 am
I couldn’t agree with you more! I liked the 40′s too! Wearing a dress everyday was expected and appreciated! I love wearing dresses!
Great post!
January 26th, 2010 at 10:28 am
you and me both! I’d totally vacuum the floor in a poofy skirt and have a cake baked before the kids got home from school!
kHm
January 26th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Don’t be too hard on the era you live in. We who never lived in te 50s look at it through the eyes of television, which whitewashed and censored just about everything, or we see it through the eyes of people like our parents who were children in the 50s and therefore look to those halcyon days through the eyes of a child. I suggest you read a book called, “The Way We Never Were” by Stephanie Coontz. Life wasn’t always what it was portrayed on TV. Then let’s not forget the 50s still held segregation, high rates of cigarette smoking, the Korean War, and McCarthyism. Women did not do housework in high heels and frilly dresses.
No one can tell you that you can’t wear a dress whenever you feel like it. No one can tell you that you can’t bake whatever and whenever you feel like baking. No one can tell you that you need to look a certain way. Women have fought long and hard to be able to control these things in their lives and tell everyone else to lump it. The only person stopping you from dressing as you please, living as you please, and looking as you please is YOU. Now stop being down on yourself about how you look (you’re gorgeous and skinny BTW) and go put on a dress!
January 26th, 2010 at 11:13 am
cute cute post! i love all of the pictures.
January 26th, 2010 at 11:53 am
A fun look back. I don’t know what era I would claim…
January 26th, 2010 at 11:59 am
I hate to bust the bubble, but I grew up in the 50′s and believe me, you don’t want to go there…
However, I’d say keep baking the pies.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I love the style of the 50′s too. I love all that things that you mentioned…..the dress..the morals…etc. The ladylike-ness of it all. I also identify with the stuff you listed in the last part about the modern stuff that is pretty good to have around, too.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Oh, I really love this post! Definitely one of my top favorites! Says so much! I definitely can see you in the 50′s! Me? I’m not sure where I fit in…
Happy Tuesday!
January 26th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
But in the 50s there were no blogs girl!!!! Still I’m sure you’d be a great 50′s lady lol!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
What a delightful piece Duckie. I can see you living in the 50′s. You are one cool mama.
January 26th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
LOVE this post. I always had a thing for that era as well since I was about 16 and started falling in love with all the Doo Wop Music.
January 26th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Love the pics! I totally should have lived in the 50′s too!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I think I would have done a GREAT job in the 50′s. It was a much simplier time, wasn’t it?
January 26th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Love that!! Funny, I’ve said to my husband before that I should have lived in the 50′s. Don’t always feel like my values fit in with the world today! Thanks for stopping by. My baby came on December 28th- he’ll be 1 month this week. Take a peek here:
http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-newest-addition.html
Take Care!
Jen
Creative and Curious Kids!
January 26th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Oh, how sweet! But then you wouldn’t be a part of our lives, selfish I know, but my life is richer for knowing you.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Hehe do you watch Mad Men Duckie? Id like to have lived in the 50s for the fashion but I like the freedom of the noughties
January 26th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Me too, me too, me too!! I’ve always wanted to look exactly like Audrey or Liz…and Grace or Marilyn wouldn’t be too bad either. And aren’t their outfits amazing? *sigh*
January 26th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Amen! I’ve always thought I was born in the wrong decade.
Btw, bummer about your PB bars. What went wrong? Also, thanks for the cream cheese blondie recipe. Those are heading my “to bake” list!
~ingrid
January 26th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Fantastic! I would have loved to have lived in the Fifties…oh the twirly full skirts and sky high pumps!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
ah, Ducky…You can still dress up and twirl in those dresses and hop and dance and be proud of your hourglass figure!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Amen! Women were so beautiful and classy back then. I love the style of clothes and hair.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I agree with you! and I’d LOVE to see a pic of you in a 50′s housewife getup! lol!!!
January 26th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Great thought – love the poem! The 50s was a classy time for many. I’ve seen you though – and you look stick thin to me!
January 26th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Oh I would love the 50′s too. I just adored your array of pictures.
xxx
January 27th, 2010 at 5:00 am
I really enjoyed this post! You are right, the best of those times were a bit magical and people seemed more kind back then to one another. It would be fun to travel back and spend a weekend on the elegant side of the era for sure!
Thanks for swinging by my blog every once in awhile. I’ve noticed! I don’t get around like I’d like, but I’d forgotten how talented a writer you were!
January 27th, 2010 at 6:40 am
I loved this post and I totally agree. I think all of the time about how safe and simple life seemed to be back then. Maybe if we all tried to adopt some of these qualities we can see some real changes in the world!?
January 27th, 2010 at 6:57 am
One of your best posts ever!! Brilliant!!!! BRAVO MADAM!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2010 at 8:08 am
I love it- and while I don’t know how I’d feel about being a homemaker (I’m not much of a cleaner- though I’m sure that’d come if I was at home all day, and there were only 3 TV channels!), I oftern feel like I’d feel fabulously at home in a different decade… Though I think my decade would be the 40s- It was a decade of strong women (keeping the country running while the boys were at war), resourceful women (dealing with the restrictions of rationing) and of course, sexy, yet classy women (pin ups!)
Oh, and I too long for a time when curvy hourglass figures were celebrated! My little waist and ample hips belong in an era where they can be appreciated!
January 27th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I am a 50′s girl all the way…eqiupted with my big boobs..little middle and big butt!!! lol
January 27th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
This is great – its soooo the time for me too
Thanks for dropping into my Australia Day party – it was great to meet you!! Hope you didn’t end up with sun-stroke
January 27th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
I agree 100 percent! A time of innocence and just being a lady…
January 27th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
LOL – loads of good reasons why you should have lived then (but I’m glad that you are living NOW because I get to read your blog). I fancy myself as a 20s or 30s girl – it’s the fashions and music that do it for me.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Aww, you could just move to the south. We still do all those things down here
Love your posts!
January 31st, 2010 at 10:53 am
|Now I know why I love you so. I’m a 50′s girl too. I could easily live in the 50′s. It’s my favourite era. I was alive them, but only an infant. I did want to be June Cleaver when I grew up though. hmmm. . . I think I fell a bit short of the mark!
March 10th, 2010 at 8:55 am
You are a queen and you truly do understand the fifties!
October 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I should have lived in the 50s, so I could suck down Valium and swill glass after glass of vodka because I’m unhappy with the freedom pulled away from me after WWII.
:/
February 15th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Great page, you have captured the best of that era. I was 10 then and remember how great it was.
Mike.. Beautiful page.
July 28th, 2011 at 8:57 am
it was a glamorous era, that is for sure. but, we shouldn’t forget that these are just the beautiful images of the era, not the reality. remember the oppressive racism of times past?? uh, yeah. not so glamorous.