Thursday, June 16, 2011

American Bandstand and the l950's




In the l950's Dick Clark's American Bandstand was one of the most popular shows for teenagers. He had the best artists and his own group of high school dancers. Everyone knew him. Most learned dances from the show. I was one of them. We knew such dances as "Hand Jive, The Stroll, Twist" to name a few. Hair styles ranged from Waterfalls, DA's (Duck ***) Preppie and there were the Greasers and the Preps. I came from a Greaser neighborhood and went to a Prep all male high school. There were the usual cliques of the Jocks, The Intellects, The Weirdos. Everyone wanted to fit in and be cool. I bring this up because I am going to high-school reunion and I find myself worrying about how I'll fit in. What will I wear? How does my hair look? I hear that this is normal, but age is the equalizer. I believe this is true. People have married, divorced, raised families, lost careers, and yes, some have died. One report indicates that most men are either divorced or depressed. I will soon find out. I wonder how many have had prostate cancer but I don't think this is a good lead in question. Stick to things like, "I remember you. You were the quarter-back, the basketball star, the jerk (maybe not that one.) This should be an interesting experience. (I hope.)

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