How we grew Up! Class of 1961

                                
​We lived our teenage years during a time of peace and We grew up during the greatest possible era.  There has never been a better time to be a teenager.
 
We never worried about peer pressure.  All the boys wore their jeans the same way with a turned up cuff.  The girls all wore dresses and skirts.
 
Only boys had flat tops and only girls wore ear rings, and three was too many.
 
We participated in the birth of  "Rock and Roll" music.  We did the Twist and the Mash Potato.  It is said Elvis Presley actually appeared at the Mobile Fair before he went on Ed Sullivan.
 
​We swam in Carre Lake, Miller's Park, and Johnson's Lake.
 
We played "Kick the Can" and "Spin the Bottle"
 
We enjoyed "Dew Drop Inn" hotdogs.
 
We went to Drive-In's, Air Show, Auto Show, Bama, and the Do Drive in on highway 45.  After the drive in double features, and kissing our dates, who watched the movies?  We drove our Muscle cars through "Ossie's", "Dick Russell's" and "Johnny's" to see and be seen.
 
But best of all in Forest Hill and Moffat Rd. we had  "Dub's".
 
We did have drag races all over the place.  Was not legal but we had fun, winning or losing.
 
You could drive down the beach at Gulf Shores to Alabama Point, there was no Bridge across to Florida.  Private homes were spaced sometimes a half a mile or more apart.  There was no high rises.  Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island were ours to enjoy.

There were no K Marts or Walmarts.  No Shopping Malls.  When Bella Hess opened up we were all amazed, a one stop shopping place.  You could buy clothes and groceries and whatever.  They drained Ragg Swamp and then built Sprindale Plaza.
 
There were no Dollar General or Dollar Stores.  We had five and dime, Woolworth, Kresses, Neisner's and Grant's.  You could sit and get a milk shake or a sandwich.  We had Planter's peanuts on Dauphin Street.
 
By Kenny & Brenda Michael, Class of 61