I Remember JFK: A Baby Boomer's Pleasant Reminiscing Spot

Who grew up in the 60's or 70's and hasn't seen one of these? We used to jump in the old Fury III (Dad was partial to Plymouths) and head for Iowa and Texas every year (not at the same time) where my grandparents lived. On the way, we would stop and eat at cafes (no fast food for us!). It seemed like every one of them had a dippy bird doing his thing, many times on a shelf high up enough to be seen throughout the eatery.

I guess they had some horribly toxic substance in them, hence their rarity today. But if you remember JFK, you probably remember the dippy bird being a very common sight.

Here's a great website if you're a dippy bird fan: Dippy Birds

One of the catchiest commercial jingles around was the above refrain. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate a picture. But I was able to dig up a little info on it.

Milk Shake was a Borden's product. There seemed to be a brief craze in the mid-to-late 60's of selling canned milk shakes. A rival brand was Great Shakes, which also had a killer jingle.

Anyhow, this song stuck in my head as a kid, and I can recall most of the lyrics:

This was one of those movies of the 60's that gave us the ratings system.

If I recall correctly, this movie came out with a "M" rating. That meant recommended for mature audiences. That didn't stop a seven-year-old from getting into the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma with his older brother.

You knew this was a serious news show. The opening music left no doubt in your mind. By the way, in case you didn't know, it was Beethoven's second movement (scherzo) of his ninth symphony.

Chet and David were my Dad's favorites, so it was they who showed me space capsules orbiting the earth, the war in Vietnam, the protest marches, and the sad assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

We all grew up with Tonka toys (and Structos) in the sandbox or the bare dirt part of the yard. But the ultimate for me was the bulldozer.

Tonkas were amazingly durable toys that weren't cheap to buy, but that was all right. You usually inherited a few from your older brothers or cousins. Mom and Dad might make a special gift of a new one that would quickly assume the same battle-worn appearance of the veteran pieces.

Tuesday nights were for Red Skelton on CBS.

Red, one of a few Vaudeville veterans to make it on the small screen, was the mastermind behind many of variety TV's most loved characters, including Klem Kadiddlehopper, San Fernado Red, the Mean Widdle Kid, and my favorites: Gertrude and Heathcliff, talking seagulls who would appear at the end of the show.

So, what constitutes a Baby Boomer? Opinions vary, but most agree that a Boomer was born between 1946 and the start of the Vietnam War (about 1963). I, however, submit that a real Boomer is defined by the recollection of a world-changing event: JFK's assassination.

Now I don't mean to slight those who weren't around in 1963. But snapshot memory events being what they are, many who were small children then can recall the shooting when they can't remember anything else from that time.

That's the case with me, Ron Enderland. I remember Mom letting out a scream as I played with my toys in front of the television. She was watching her favorite soap, when it was interrupted by the news bulletin. I asked her what was wrong, and she sobbed and said “They've shot the President!”

With that, a memory was indelibly stamped into a four-year-old's brain.

This site is NOT about JFK's death There are plenty of conspiracy theorists out there to fan those flames. Instead, it is intended to be a pleasant diversion for those who grew up in the 60's and the 70's. I will be posting a memory of mine each day (at least that's my goal), along with a photo, if possible. Feel free to comment on my choice, as well as sharing your own memories.