By Paul Dugan, Groovy Reflections Team Member
I grew up as part of the first television generation and I consider myself very lucky. It was such a magical time. We didn't take it for granted and our parents didn't use it as a baby sitter. It wasn’t a substitute for outdoors but rather a supplement, I can remember being so disappointed when Mom said it was raining so I couldn't go out to play, why not go watch TV.
An early TV memory for me was the Howdy Doody Show. How I loved Howdy, Buffalo Bob, Phineas T Bluster, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and my favorite one of all, Flub-a-Dub! I didn’t know he was a combination of eight animals: a duck's bill, a cat's whiskers, a spaniel's ears, a giraffe's neck, a dachshund's body, a seal's flippers, a pig's tail and an elephant's memory! Heck, I didn’t even know he was a puppet!
All I knew was I wanted one! Mom compromised and got me a cat, which I promptly named Flub-a-Dub! I so wanted to be on the show and sit in the Peanut Gallery, it looked like such fun! All those kids seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
In the mornings before I began going to school there was Miss Jean in Romper Room. (It was a franchised show and each city had their own Miss________). I always tried very hard to be a Good Do Bee, although I often failed. Perhaps that’s why she never saw me in her magic mirror, I couldn’t understand why? There I was right in front of her, waving my arms; maybe she needed glasses!
In different areas of the country there was local kids programming. In the Boston area, we had The Major Mudd Show. He was a space commander, always on the lookout for his Lost Battalion. There were always local kids on the show and they got neat prizes!
Another show I didn’t get to be on. Sigh. At least it was fun to watch; they had cartoons and sometimes the Three Stooges shorts would be on and the Major always had his classic sign off: I.B.B.Y. which meant I’ll Be Blasting You. I still use this expression today.
It wouldn’t be kid’s TV in Boston without remembering Rex Trailer’s Boom, Boom, Boomtown! Rex was a real singing cowboy; he could do riding tricks, rope tricks and lots more! I knew I could do the same if I just had a horse. There were the cartoons like Popeye and Davey and Goliath, but most of all I wanted to be a Cowboy and Rex epitomized that!
One of the last of the kid’s shows I remember watching was Salty’s Shack out of Rhode Island. This show was geared toward older kids and while it featured the obligatory cartoons, it also had a segment featuring Salty Brine himself teaching you how to draw. As I look back now I realize it was very educational, but as a kid I just thought it was fun! Salty, the old sea captain would set up an easel and take you step by step on how to draw a picture, maybe a boat one day, a sailor the next, or a tree maybe, I actually got fairly good at it.
I don’t watch a lot of television anymore, except maybe for some sports, but I sure wish I could go back to being a little kid and my biggest worry was whether Miss Jean would see me being a Don’t Bee!
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By Paul Dugan, Groovy Reflections Team Member
When I was but a wee lad the world was such a wonderful place! I had it made, being the youngest child and as such was Mom’s spoiled brat. Not that I was ever a brat mind you.
I had an older brother and sister that went to something called school but since I was only four I didn’t have to go; so the days were all mine and Mom’s. Sometimes I’d help with baking. Most of my “help” consisted of licking the icing off the mixer blades. Tried my hardest to get them clean enough so Mom wouldn’t have to wash them but I must have missed spots ‘cause she always did.
I also got to watch television with no big brother or sister to change the channel on me. I watched Howdy Doody and wished I could be in the Peanut Gallery. Tried my hardest to be a Good Do Bee so Miss Nancy would look through her magic mirror and see me, but she never did!
Mom and I used to go picking evergreens for making wreaths. She’d sell the wreaths for extra Christmas money. This I never understood. Why did she need extra money for Christmas; wasn’t that Santa’s problem?
We’d fill paper grocery sacks with fresh evergreens that would shoot up in the woods under the larger trees. Well, Mom did; I’d get maybe half a sack. After an entire morning out in the woods there was usually a treat, like an ice cream.
Life was good. Then one day Mom said these horrible words: “You’re going to have a new brother or sister.” Nooooooooo! We don’t need one! In fact we got a couple too many now! She assured me that she would still love me just as much and we’d still do things together. I asked if we had to get one, could I pick it out? Apparently it’s different than kittens.
As luck would have it Mom picked out a girl! Whyyyyyyyyy! They’re no fun. I won’t even be able to steal her toys! Well, I could but why would I? She’d have dolls and girl junk!
Sure enough the baby came and Mom still loved me, but the doing stuff together thing? Sure, if she wasn’t too tired after feeding the baby and burping the baby and changing the baby….woah! Changing? You could change them! Wow, gotta see what Mom’s gonna change her into. “Mom, what are you changing…oh Gross! Mom! Phew!” So THAT’S what change means; did not need to know that.
Anyway things, while still not ideal, were pretty good. I still did things with Mom, just not as much.
Then came that fateful day when the other shoe dropped. Mom woke me early and said “Get up and get dressed for school.” Whaaaaaaat? Me? School? What happened to me and you Mom?
“I don’t want to go!” I think those were my last words as the doors to that big yellow bus closed on me and tore me from the only life I’d ever known.
I was going to get educated whether I liked it or not. Who knows, I might even amount to something someday! My bus drove down the street, and with tears in my eyes I looked back and saw little sis waving bye bye to me. The smile on her face said it ALL; there’s a new youngest child in town!
As I look back I realize one thing. Mom loved all us kids and she put me on that bus so I would get an education and eventually make her proud. I hope I have, but there’s one thing Mom couldn’t do and that is …..make me grow up!
Gotta go now. Popeye is on!
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