by Frances Ruocco

Created on: August 07, 2011   Last Updated: August 09, 2011

My friends and I grew up in the 1950s in Brooklyn, New York, in a era when childhood dreams seemed very simple. The girls didn't dream of going to college or becoming President of a multi-million dollar company. Most of us would dream of getting married, having children and living happily ever after. In those days, women weren't ashamed to stay at home, clean the house, wash clothes, iron, cook and take care of the children.

The young men would dream of coming home from their two years of service in the Military, passing one of the Civil Service tests and getting a steady job instead of working down the docks, where they had to shape-up every day to see if there was any work.

Others dreamed of working in a factory, doing manual labor and/or getting a job with a printer or department store earning enough money to support their families. Of course all hoped to find the right girl, marry her and have children and also live happily ever after.

Most of us lived at home until the day we married, then found an apartment on the same block or a few blocks away from our families.  Some even lived with them for the first few years, saving money to buy a home of their own.

Everyone would get together and sit on the stoop, in the backyard or in each other's apartment around the kitchen table drinking coffee while telling jokes or playing penny poker or pinochle. As each new addition to the families arrived, they were cuddled, spoiled and knew they were wanted and loved.

Many people reading this might say our childhood dreams were worthless, but it was like living in our own little town. Almost everyone was happy, honest, helpful and always extended their hands when one of the neighbors was struck by illness, death and/or bad times.

If one of the families experienced hard times and was out of work and they had to get what was then called home relief, the wife might be given piece-work to do at home like slipping little hooks on the strap of a bra. All of her lady friends would sit in the back yard and help her to achieve her quotas for the week, while laughing and telling jokes. People also invited each other to meals or gave food to help out when there was a need. People enjoyed the human contact when they would tell jokes, stories or just talk about the ballgames or sitcoms that were on television

In those days a inspector would come to the home and if they saw a piece of cake on the table, they wanted to know how the family could afford to put cake on the table when

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