September, 2019.

I went to a local mall the other day and couldn’t help but think back to September 1959, the year I entered SHS as a freshman.  This year the mall was crowded with teens preparing for their return to school…or were they? And, did we even have a mall? There was a strip mall in Oakdale that had a pretty good pizzeria and a bowling alley but I don’t recall anything enclosed..even in Patchogue or Bayshore. In 1959, we relied on all the local Main Streets, or maybe a department store of which there were plenty…Macy’s, Gimbels, Sears, Penny’s, and the newcomer “E.J. Korvette”  to get our new school wardrobe. 

Dress code was simple…skirts, jumpers and dresses (all below the knee) for the girls. a few sweaters, a pair of saddle shoes, bobby socks and we were ready for most social engagements,  Boys had it even simpler, a few pairs of dungarees, a sturdy belt, and a few shirts (to be tucked in).  Shoes for the guys were pretty much sneakers, practical and inexpensive. 

Warning: the term “Dungarees” may be offensive to some, but don’t fret, most 2019 teens have never heard the term and wouldn’t be able to guess the meaning even when used in context.

Beyond that, we came to school prepared with a loose leaf binder (covered in denim blue muslin), a few pens (peacock blue ink!) and 25 cents to buy school lunch. Our hair was freshly cut and all had their natural color. Easy.  The trip back home was not as easy.  We carried 4-5 textbooks, with the expectation they would all be respectfully donned with brown bag covers by the next morning.

Switching to 2019, things look so complicated, at least to this 70ish grandmother. Getting back to those teens at the mall, they didn’t appear to be too concerned with buying school supplies. Most were engaged in social activities, ranging from innocent giggles to some more ‘sophisticated’ transactions. All had their cell phone in view, many had their faces focused on their phone. And if any were actually buying school clothes, I doubt they would adhere to the dress codes of 1959. Truthfully, we would never be allowed out of the house with tattered clothing exposing body parts and even underwear.  Our parents weren’t the only ones who’d object, we would!  When our clothing became so thin and worn, we might use it for outdoor play but never for public view.  A handy trick was once our DUNGAREES got thin enough to tear at the knees we would cut them off for summer shorts…an inch or two above the knee.  Guessing that was the beginning of the term “recycle.” Exposing underwear was a no-no.  If a young lady’s slip was showing (if you have to ask what a slip was, read no more) friends would politely inform her that “it is snowing down south.” 

The mall was crowded with people of all ages but one place seemed to get the top score.  The Apple Store was filled with teens and their parents purchasing the latest model of cell phones and laptops. Back in 1959, we appreciated technology as well. Originally, we had “party” phone lines: one phone line that was shared among several homes. Later, when technology advanced, we had our own phone.  Meaning one phone in one home, shared by 4-6 people.  it worked.  I remember our telephone number: SA-4-3566 (Sayville 4!) but with the advances of technology the phone number was suddenly switched to LT-9-3566.  Which made no sense as we didn’t live in Latvia. Our guidance counselors ‘guided’ us to take “Typewriting” a technology that proved useful for those planning to enter the business field or pursue college, and…we used all our fingers! These days, I am advised to use only my thumbs.  Thank goodness, that rule didn’t apply while learning to type.

Also, pretty busy this year, were athletic footwear stores. Teens, readily handed over credit card’s to buy 2-3 pairs of “footwear.’  They didn’t look that much different from the sneakers we wore, but they ran about 100x more expensive.  No exaggeration…these are selling at about $200 a pair.  My brother got his usual $2.00 a pair of canvas high tops that served him well. Guessing that is the difference between “footwear” and “sneakers.”  By the way, Lee’s, Levi’s and Wrangler no longer sell dungarees…they now opt for the term, “jeans.”  I find it odd, that a perfectly good word has been discarded and replaced by one to suit the marketing demands of teens. Meanwhile, we are left to wonder when those jeans are going to fall off their slim hips because they lack a good sturdy belt?

I’ll close this with another reality.  I have been informed by my grandchildren that “no one calls anyone anymore. nor do they use email.”  Apparently, today’s teens text.  Don’t they realize how much they are missing out by not passing notes during class?  Wonder how long it will take for a teacher to respond to all the  dings of 25 teens texting each other?

Teens take note: forty years from now, you may be recollecting your high school years with nostalgia and affection as you compare your experience to students entering high school in 2059. If so, text me.