History The greatest time to have lived in America?

That's actually a very good question! We really do tend to look at the past with rose color-ed glasses and only look at the good. Remember when old folks used to actually bury their money or hide cash in their house because they didn't trust banks? They've must've really went through some bullshit to get to that point. How about rationing during WWII or even the the Draft in that and every other War for the next 25 years? I love the Musclecar-Era and 60's Era Drag Racing but if I had a Time Machine to go back, I would probably decline for fear of ending up dressed in green with a rifle in my hands in an Asian jungle instead of Lion's Drag Strip! If you have your health, you can make the most of any time period you're in. I hate to go off and sound too negative now, but wait until Terrorists detonate one of of those missing Cold-War-Era suitcase Nuclear Bombs in a major American City. I have a feeling that's when we will lose a lot of personal freedoms that we have taken for granted for a long time and realize that we actually had it pretty good for the last couple of decades.

 

I always thought my Grandfather was born at the right time, 1901...The birth and rise of the American auto industry, the "party era" of the Roaring '20s, the Great Depression, The golden days of hot Rodding in the 1940's and 50's, The space race and cultural upheaval of the 1960's and the changing times or the '70s '80's and '90s...not to mention 2 world wars, Korea, and Vietnam....as well as all of the great cars from those periods

 

Born in 1952 and it has been a charmed life so far. Remember sitting in cars with mohair seats and smelling the sun faded dust. My brother had a '38 tudor with leopard skin seat covers, 2x2's on a y adaptor for his everyday driver. The sky may have been a little bluer but the sun still shines all day! I am right where I want to be.

 

20s? Not for me. No good roads yet....

30s? Depression? I don't think so....

40s then....? Nope. World war, post war recession...

50's? I was there. I remember polio and lots of other nasty illnesses.

60's? Grew up then. I got tossed out of a "Whites only" restroom when I was ten. Not going back to that or Vietnam.

70's? Yeah, sure. Disco was a lot of fun, wasn't it....

80's? The eighties were ok, except for the big hair and mullets. Dang, no internet...

90's? too busy with kids and career to remember...

00's? Now? Yep these are the days I like. I have time, money, some skill, a collection of tools....lots of stuff I lacked twenty years ago....I think I'll stick around and enjoy these "good ol days"

 

You hit the nail right on the head. There is no past nor no future, what we all have is today. That is what matters the most.

 

That's an epic statement Mazooma! I always thought I wanted to go back in time. But, I think I've changed my mind. For me, being 33, I think what makes older era's (40's, 50's, 60's etc.) cool is not having been through them. The mystique of what my imagination believes they were makes it better than reality. To me, post wwII through the middle 60's seems like a magical land of utopia perfection. Mostly because of the same reasons everyone else has, such as simpler times, cars, music etc. I'm sure there were many problems just like in today's society. My magical kingdom of yesteryear doesn't come close to including those though.

Today's technology is unbeatable. With modern medicine, the internet, etc. life seems a lot easier in some aspects. The internet gives this hobby a whole new avenue. The HAMB, parts online, researching projects etc. I'm probably better left with dreaming about the old times.

Here's how nuts I am. When I was a kid, our family went to Myrtle Beach many times for summer vacation. The memories I have of those trips are simply amazing. I was last there when I was 13. Now, I will never go back. My parents have offered me free lodging to take my family down there with them. I refuse to go because I know it's not the same as it was when I was a kid. I don't want to tarnish that memory. So, mostly for this crazy reason, I don't want to go back to the golden age of the hot rod world. I'll just dream about it....kinda ghey I know....sorry

 

I was born in 1948.Lots of good memories,but I think with what my interests are,I would have enjoyed being born about 10 years earlier.One thing is sure,I hardly recognize the America I grew up in anymore.

 

>>>>>,I was born in '43 ,,,loved the '50's,,'60's ,, '70's & '80;s ,,built hotrods / drag cars/ sno-mobiles/drag boats/got married three times/ had two great sons ,,
BUT ,,,RIGHT NOW ,,THIS VERY DAY ,,IS THE 'GOOD OLE` DAYS ,,'Cause I'm Still Above Ground n Drivin' A Hot Rod ,,

 

Yep.

 

BAILEIGH...please give this message to your father-in-law. don't tell that shit to the native american indians...POP.

 

Bad ass

 

You chances of a long and healthy life are much better now than any time in the past.
As far as cars and music go, I liked the early 60's best.

 

Being in a racial minority group, there's no era of the US I'd like to be in except now. And even so, it could be better.

 

I was a teen for most of the 50. It was cool. LADS, lots of cool drive-ins, etc. 1956 F100 said it all. Right now is the best time to be alive. Don't waste it.

 

I agree with all who have said TODAY's the best time to be alive. I graduated high school in SoCal some 40 years ago and if I was told then that in 2010 I'd have lived in NZ for more than half my life, traveling the world on business and communicating globally via computer, I'd have asked what the person was smoking and if I could have some, too! As the Grateful Dead sang, "...what a long, strange trip it's been..."

The hardest thing about being at this stage of life is having so many friends whose eyes have migrated to the backs of their respective cabesas.

 

when everything was marked in english only

 

I would not mind being stuck in a Groundhog year. Make it 1964 please!

 

I have been watching "the pacific" on HBO

My vote is still 40's and 50's

 

Excellent point.
I'm thrilled with today and the possibility of what the future holds

 

No question, now is the best time. But my obsession with the '40s is strong within me. It's so easy to look back and filter out the bad though. Like the scene in Miracle at St Anna where the black soldiers are denied ice cream and told to get the fuck out while the German pows sit there unguarded eating ice cream. That embarrassed and disgusted me.

 

I'm 64 years old and kinda happy with today & maybe tomorrow if I'm luckey

 

For me, I'd have to say today. Were it not for modern medicine, I'd be dead, missing a limb, or two, locked up in a sanitarium, or any combination of those.

 

TODAY... right now, God's plan is not our own, live now, I think God put me in this time for a reason, remember history, plan for the future

 

I've always said I was born 40 years too late. Should have been...

Born in 37
Hot rod through the 50s and most of the 60s
not remembering 68-75
Sell out and get rich in the 80s
Cruise through the 90s
Working on toys now...or dead.

I'm also a fan of the gangster era. Dillinger, Floyd, Capone. Gangbusters baby.

 

cool stuff

same here big fan of the gangster era..public enemies is one of my favorite movies

I was born in '88 though so havent seen too much cool stuff yet

 

Right now. Hopefully it gets even better and more exciting (in a good way). Someday when I have grandkids and they ask me about growing up "in the good old days" I'll remember that vintage mode of communication known as the internet.

I'm only 44 right now.

 

it would be interesting to be born today just to see if you could make it to 80 years old before the earth all turns to shit and everybody dies.

 

There were two hot rod era's the 50's and Now. ANd hot rods are more popular now than they were in the 50's. At least im in one of those era's...no complaints+parts are easier to get cause of the HAMB for sale section lol.

 

if time and space were of no concern then right now but a little younger i think the thought of the 40's and 50's were a very romantic set of decades but, the thing i like about now is that we have information at our finger tips and have the tech. to upgrade to more modern safties im building a 500 hp 37 chevy sedan for my wife and love the fact that it can be safe enough for me to trust that she wont have any problems with power transfer to the wheels,.. her saftey is #1 ,... now I think its cool we live now,. because:,.. fasion pick 1,.. style pick 1, .. the way i style my rods or you style it,. pick 1 this is a beautiful era

 

Here's how nuts I am. When I was a kid, our family went to Myrtle Beach many times for summer vacation. The memories I have of those trips are simply amazing. I was last there when I was 13. Now, I will never go back. My parents have offered me free lodging to take my family down there with them. I refuse to go because I know it's not the same as it was when I was a kid. I don't want to tarnish that memory. So, mostly for this crazy reason, I don't want to go back to the golden age of the hot rod world. I'll just dream about it....kinda ghey I know....sorry[/QUOTE]


DON"T go back. It has become tourist hole. The best time for MB is high school grad through college, though they are trying to run them out and be an upscale "family "resort. Only go back for Run to the Sun.


My wife's grandmother was born in 1917 and is still with us. I often think of all the changes she's seen...the rise in availability of automobiles, the changes in technology, she and grandpa used to ride the Harley from upper SC to Daytona for the bike races......in the 40s! No highways! Got rid of the bike in the 50s because of "too much traffic".
Life is easier now (or at least more convienient) than ever before, even if things are still f-ed up everywhere...