The Place for Baby Boomers to Share Memories
By Larry Teren
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Generation gap is an expression hardly heard anymore. It was the be-all, end-all excuse for why your parents didn’t understand you. How many times did you think to yourself, “man, they don’t know what it’s like being a kid or a teenager.” As if your parents were born in their twenties, huh?
Continue reading “The Television Generation Gap”
By Larry Teren
Is there transparency in big time product marketing and what does transparency even mean? Don’t expect anything but a transparent answer while we look at three nationally popular products.
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Continue reading “Transparency in Marketing or Say What You Mean”
By Larry Teren
How many times have you said “Are You Crazy?” to someone when they said something with which you disagreed? I bet lately you have been a little reticent to use that expression, yes? If not, maybe you should be.
Continue reading “Are You Crazy?”
By Larry Teren
This is not about baseball. Instead, it’s about what happens in the aftermath when a company closes down because of repeated strikes by workers.
Continue reading “Three Strikes and You’re Out”
By Larry Teren
Summer of 1957, I am four years old, my sister has just turned six. We are outside playing with other kids. (Yeah, back then you can play outside away from in front of the house without supervision) For whatever reason, sis says to me, “you’re stupid.” Taking it in, digesting it in my young mind, I quickly determine that it is not a compliment. I reply back to her, “no I’m not.”
She immediately comes back with, “yes you are.” In one of my earliest attempts at using the ‘best defense is an offense’ strategy, I turn the tables and start saying, “shut up, shut up, shut up.” Using the classic Jackson Boulevard greeting, she finally says, “go away, crybaby.”
Continue reading “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”
By Larry Teren
Most baby boomers, I would think, remember that during the 1950’s and 60’s cars had noticeable changes in body design from year to year. Americans took great pride in being able to tell the model number and year of an automobile just by looking at it.
I recall the time I ran home from school when I was eight years old and proudly told Ma that I saw a 1964 car. She said that I couldn’t have because it was only the fall of 1959. I tried to argue that my friend said it was a 1964 car. She said that he probably said it was a 1960 Ford car. (Alright, you had to be there.) Continue reading “Handle With Car(e)”
Rat Fink
By Larry Teren
If you are baby boomer, certain words and expressions conjure up an immediate association that those of other age groups cannot relate. Take for example, a very once-popular, one-word adjective that for a short time in the early 1960’s conveyed a feeling of disgust, one person to another. And that word is – rat fink!! And, of course, for any of us hatched in the 1950’s and shaped in the 1960’s, the word is associated with a famous parody song by the master of all masters- Allan Sherman. Anyone interested in hearing this melodious ingenious musical piece can click here. For the sake of accuracy, it should be noted that although it is spelled as two distinct words, it is pronounced rushed together in order to stress the significance of its usage, such as you ratfink bastard, you. Continue reading “Rat Fink”
By Larry Teren
Danny called the other day after he saw my name on his cellphone’s missed calls list.
Danny: “So, you need a painter?”
Me: “Ha, ha. What else you doing?”
I had tried calling him a few days earlier to see what was shaking. Like everyone else nowadays I felt there was no need to leave a voice mail as he’d eventually notice the missed call. Anyway, I also knew Danny had nothing good to say which is why he waited a few days to return the call.
Danny: “Not much. Finished painting the house myself. Getting it ready for sale this summer. Now that the kids are out , we don’t need so much space and gotta get out of here and into a smaller one in a suburb that has lower property taxes.”
Me: “Yeah, good luck.” Continue reading “Being Smart Means Nothing Anymore”
By Larry Teren
In late August 1968, our family finally got out of the far west side of Chicago and moved to the far north side. Rather, we were pushed out of the west side- but that’s another story. Now we were in a location that was as if living in the suburbs. There were half built roads and plenty of empty lots along with the serenity that comes with living in an isolated area. Continue reading “The House Around The Corner From Serenity”
By Larry Teren
Sunday evenings in the late 1970s and early 1980s were often spent at these so-called well-chaperoned singles events that were at drinking establishments. Sundays were usually slow nights for bars so they willingly rented out their facilities to groups hoping to get the attendees to buy some liquor. Back then driving under the influence was not so vigorously monitored. I didn’t drink but plenty of others who attended these affairs did enjoy to wet their whistle. Continue reading “Sunday Night Fever”