Label #1: The Babies (1946-1964)

The Naïve Years

We were babies for a very long time. Our generation spanned over twenty years. While some of us were still in diapers, others were sophomores in college. No matter how old we were though, we had one thing in common; between the years of 1946 and 1964, we were naive. Whether we were learning how to use the potty or learning how to solve Calculus equations, we watched, “Leave It to Beaver,” “Lassie,” and “The Lone Ranger.” We listened to Ward Cleaver and believed he was what a real dad was like. We watched June Cleaver clean house in high heels and hose, and wondered why our Mom didn't do that. We believed in good guys winning, cookies and milk after school, and white picket fences. We thought Desi and Lucy had a good marriage and Little Ricky was really their son. Our parents carried us outside, showed us the moon, and told us we could go there one day. We drank Cokes, believed in Chevys or Fords and would fight about which was better. We collectively tried new math, and traded dresses and suits for polyester pants. Then, while we were playing or studying in front of our black and white TV’s, we watched as our President was shot. No matter how young we were, we saw John Kennedy's brains splatter over his perfectly dressed wife. We watched with tears running down our faces as his small son saluted his casket. We listened with hope as Martin Luther King, Jr. told us about his dream and then watched in horror as his dream was shattered by a bullet. We looked on in fear as Bobby Kennedy tried to recover his brother's Camelot, and sighed in sadness when he, too, was struck down. At this point, something changed within us.