A 1950's Date

The above photo was displayed as a date between a couple from the 1950's.

Dating, like that, appears to be gone these days, right?

Kids just all hang out together, from what I can gather, and most of their courting is done on Instagram or some sort of social media.

That's a shame.

I recall being nervous to ask a girl out.

(I had good reason to be nervous - most of them said 'Uh, no.').

But there were dates.

The movies and out to eat was the big thing back in my day. Half of the movie was spent wondering if reaching for her hand was a viable option. You had to reach for the hand in a smooth fashion, and you never wanted to hand over a sweaty hand.

Then there was the walk to the door and the wonder of whether or not you should lean in for the kiss.

"We just spent thirty bucks and now we're riding home alone with two pecks on the lips to show for it!" My double-date partner Jeff Renaldo used to say.

"This is bullshit!"

But it was all part of the gig.

Look at the couple in the photo above:

Well-dressed.

Best behavior.

Probably a flower exchanged at the front door of the girl's home.

Most likely the guy had to meet the girl's Dad and let his intentions be known.

My boys hardly ever bring their 'dates' around here.

"This is 'so and so'," they'll say to me and the girl will giggle something.

Yet the real dates seem to be few and far between.

Who knows?

Maybe the man-woman dynamic is still really strong.

Perhaps boys still get the butterflies in their stomach when they're thinking about approaching a girl for a date.

It just seemed to be so different back about 50 or 60 years ago, didn't it?

When I think of the 50's dating I think of going to a soda shop for a malted.

I consider that men treated women well and that women were all in long dresses.

Was it all as innocent as it appears to be?

My dating career was not anything to write home about.

There were a whole bunch of nervous movies with some really good girls.

I cherish those memories.

But seeing the photo from that couple in the 50's...I wonder.

Will it ever go back to anything even remotely resembling that?

Doubtful.

A cuddle, a peck on the cheek, sweaty palms, meetings with over-protective Dads and nervous phone calls.

It all seems to be lost.

Ah well.

Renaldo thought it was bullshit anyway.