Rip Roarin’

If I had to pick a certain time in history to be alive it would be in 1920′s America. It looks like a blast, especially compared to what life today has now turned to. Like the 60′s, the 20′s is one period of history where the youth absolutely ruled. They rebelliously ran wild and free, drinking, smoking, and dancing the Charleston. Fashion was taking a more flamboyant turn with bobbed hair, finger waves and flapper dresses. There were great technological advances with cars, airplanes and other modes of transportation. One huge scientific break thru was the invention of penicillin, an antibiotic that has saved untold amounts of lives and still does to this day. Let’s also not forget the television. Oh, and the Teddy Bear. Where would we be without these two? Music wise, Jazz was all the rage but I prefer rock. This is one thing I would not like. All jazz, all the time. Other than that t looks all good.

One of the best thing about the 20′s was the Silent Screen and it’s luminous stars. Incidentally, this is also the decade that started the Academy Awards. Screen legends such as Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks and Clara Bow, just to mention a few, reigned supreme. It was truly a Golden Age. These movies are timeless and can hold a candle to any movie made today. If there is any question as to whether they stand the test of time, all you have to do is sit a teenager in front of a Charlie Chaplin movie and see what happens. I did that with my son and he was instantly mesmerized. He wanted me to buy the boxed set. My personal favorite is Clara Bow. To me she epitomizes this era,with her pageboy bob, bow lips, and flapper fashions. Her irresistible personality is still evident 100 years after filming. Nothing is lost in the translation.

Back then, America was a strong economic power, not the crippled mess it is today. People had well paid jobs with cash to burn. Can you imagine? Extra cash, almost unheard of today. This was a time of extravagance and excess. The number of millionaires was up and they splurged on things such luxury apartments and luxurious things to go in the apartment such as furniture and art work. Even if you weren’t wealthy, the middle class had a pretty good life once only available to the rich. Through time payment, people were able to make big purchases such as refrigerators, pianos and cars. People were living high on the hog. Then, catastrophe. The Stock Market crashed in 1929 plunging America into the Great Depression. It went from boom to bust overnight. History always repeats itself so hopefully the prosperous part will come back around