I grew up in that idealic time where my Father became permanently invalid from his job at Lockead and couldn't collect disability because the doctors said he could work one day a week (and was in excruciating pain afterwards) so my Mother had to support the family instead. She worked for the University of CA System and was at the top of …
I grew up in that idealic time where my Father became permanently invalid from his job at Lockead and couldn't collect disability because the doctors said he could work one day a week (and was in excruciating pain afterwards) so my Mother had to support the family instead. She worked for the University of CA System and was at the top of her professional skills when they asked her to train a young guy who she found out was making more money than she was. She complained to management and the Union. They replied he needed to make more to support a family. She said he was single and she was actually supporting a family. Nothing changed. The 1950s were crap.
My dad was a non-functioning alcoholic. He'd work from time to time in sales and when young, chased the oil well dream, doing the "Double Shuffle 'Round the 10 Inch Hole." As they say, "a man takes a drink and the drink takes the man." I don't know how mom fed us. We were repeatedly evicted and moved from place to place. In those days there was no way to track deadbeat renters, which we were. We'd move in, not pay any rent other than that required to get into a place and then wait for eviction. There were no jobs for a woman with five kids - no day care....no way out. And we were white; the black people had it even worse. Sometimes the church would bring a couple bags of groceries (things others didn't want.) These groceries were always accompanied by a stern lecture exhorting her stay with her drunk of a husband. We were grateful for the food, though. Dad was theoretically capable of working, so no social services support. The 50's did indeed suck for most of us.
I grew up in that idealic time where my Father became permanently invalid from his job at Lockead and couldn't collect disability because the doctors said he could work one day a week (and was in excruciating pain afterwards) so my Mother had to support the family instead. She worked for the University of CA System and was at the top of her professional skills when they asked her to train a young guy who she found out was making more money than she was. She complained to management and the Union. They replied he needed to make more to support a family. She said he was single and she was actually supporting a family. Nothing changed. The 1950s were crap.
My dad was a non-functioning alcoholic. He'd work from time to time in sales and when young, chased the oil well dream, doing the "Double Shuffle 'Round the 10 Inch Hole." As they say, "a man takes a drink and the drink takes the man." I don't know how mom fed us. We were repeatedly evicted and moved from place to place. In those days there was no way to track deadbeat renters, which we were. We'd move in, not pay any rent other than that required to get into a place and then wait for eviction. There were no jobs for a woman with five kids - no day care....no way out. And we were white; the black people had it even worse. Sometimes the church would bring a couple bags of groceries (things others didn't want.) These groceries were always accompanied by a stern lecture exhorting her stay with her drunk of a husband. We were grateful for the food, though. Dad was theoretically capable of working, so no social services support. The 50's did indeed suck for most of us.