Those Hap Happy Days - by Stan C. Countz

Take a ride in my time machine, take a spin, it's been a changing scene. How long's it been since you were sweet sixteen and you knew absolutely everything? This retro explosion will take you back to the days of Mickey Mantel and Willy Mays, Tony Randall and Doris Day, Lou Rawls and Marvin Gaye. Do you recall that fateful day in the motorcade, the day they shot JFK? Back in the day when the big debate was who to take on that big date. Days of carhops on rollerskates, sock hops and blind dates, before Vietnam and Watergate, pet rocks and eight track tapes, before we had to ask our date if they were gay, bi or straight. Couldn't wait to drive our Fords and Chevys. Lookin' forward to 'goin' steady. The Beav, Wally and Eddy, Fred, Barney and Betty. Gettin' ready to take on the world one day at at time. We didn't have a dime. It was a simpler time and a slower pace. We looked our friends right in the face. Had no use for Youtube, Google or Myspace. Tatoos were taboo. Only cowboys cried "yahoo". We were lost on Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space. Loved Gomer Pyle and Peyton Place. Perry Mason never lost a trial or a case. Barney Google blew his bugle and marched in place. Yankee Doodle used his noodle and won the race to the moon...and the dish ran away with the spoon. Hope he's comin' home soon. The King crooned in his blue suede shoes. Dion ran around with Run Around Sue. Pat Boone donned his while buckskin shoes. Buddy Holly got his jollies with Peggy Sue. We loved the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Johnny Cash was a boy named Sue. That darned cat and cat baloo. Where were you in '62? I wanna take you on a sea cruise. BB King was singin' the blues. Whatever happened to Captain Kangeroo? It was all so new. What were we suppoed to do?