Recalling the 50s

During the 1950s, the United States was a strong military power with a booming economy: However, it was also in a period of conflict. The civil rights movement was starting, the baby boomers were making their appearance, nuclear capabilities in both Russia and the United States were being expanded, the cold war had exposed its ugly head and there was a fear that communism was spreading. In the 1950s, Russia launched Sputnik, televisions invaded most homes, the guitar introduced us to rock n' roll and Pez found its way to the United States. The rates of unemployment and the rates of inflation were low and wages were high as latent consumer demand was met by increased production. However, improvements on the rural family farms lagged behind the progress that was being made in other areas. This is an autobiographical account of my life on the family farm throughout the 50s. I was born in 1946, the first of the baby boomers, and I grew up on an extremely modest farm in the central part of Minnesota. We were a normal family in a small rural community dealing with the same problems and harboring the same misgivings that other farm families tackled. These stories are about my childhood, but this is not a children's book. Although some of the chapters would be appropriate for children to read, others address issues that young children shouldn't have to face, including confronting a pedophilic aunt, eating the farm animals who were pets, murdering gophers to earn money and receiving medical treatments that were more appropriate for animals than they were for humans. Many books have been written about the children who grew up on farms in the 50s. This "tell all" book addresses issues that children confronted that are not included in the "feel good" books. The factual history may, in some cases, be upsetting, but it is an important historical read - one that will probably not be repeated as the 50s children age into oblivion.