Growing up in the Sixties

      Growing up in the Sixties

Suzanne Marsh

December 25^th, 1962

Dear Diary,

You were the first gift I opened from my parents. What delight to have a friend I can confide in. I read the Diary of a Young Girl over the summer. When my parents asked what I would like for Christmas you were on the top of my list. I am thirteen years of age; I am a freshman in high school at Mount Saint Mary’s Academy for Girls. Dad is calling me for dinner so I will say goodbye until tomorrow.

December 31^st, 1962

Dear Diary,

I have decided to give you a name so when I write it will be more personal. I have selected Velvet, after the character of Velvet Brown from my favorite TV show and movie National Velvet. I love horses. I joined the Riders Club, we ride every Saturday out at a Hundred Acres. It is great fun going on trail rides I usually ride a big chestnut named Fritz. Oh, just found out we are going to be riding at Foxhall. I will be learning to ride an English saddle instead of a Western one.

January 3^rd, 1963

Dear Velvet,

Back to the grind stone and hum drum of high school. It is boring going to an all girls school. The nuns are like “Big Brother” always watching for a screw up. I made one today. Nuns don’t really care about fashion but I do. I had hoisted my uniform up above my knees. Sister Benditict, the school principal had me knee on the floor sure enough I shortended a bit to much. I had to write a short story about why it is improper for a young Christian woman to wear dresses above her knees. Can you imagine that?

January 10^th, 1963

Dear Velvet,

I sure got a good jolt from Sister the Skeleton. Sister has a bad habit of walking up to slouching students eating and poking them in the back. She did that to me today; good thing I did not have mouthful of food, or someone would have been wearing it. That nun has the boniest finger. She looks as if she swallowed a bottle of formaldehyde. I have her for General Sciences. I have to go, I have homework to do.

January 15^th, 1963

Dear Velvet,

Silent Monday and retreat yech! I did manage to read Fanny Hill inside the bible, glad I did not get caught. Sister LaSalle would have had my head. I enjoyed Fanny Hill first really “dirty” book I have read. Silent Monday was a pain; can’t talk to anyone. I think the nuns thought this up so they can have some quiet.

January 20^th, 1963

Took my January exams over these five days. I finished the English exam with an essay about How to be a good Christian Young Lady. Boy if ever there was a miserable essay this was it. Sometimes I think the nuns get together just to think these things up and make the students suffer. I did manage to pass all the exams however; some were low grades but who cares?

February 1^st,1963

The Riders Club met today, I was elected Secretary and Treasurer. I also had a great time at the Saddle and Bridle Club riding there for the first time last Saturday. It was cold inside there however. Poor Dad, he had to sit and wait for me but he never complained. Mom and Dad took me to get a pair of jodfers and boots since I am now riding English saddle. Sneakers just don’t work!

February 5^th, 1963

Yet another silent Monday! I really think the nuns just want some quiet. Once again I found myself in hot water with Sister LaSalle. This time she wanted to know why I could not seem to behave myself and buckle down like my cousin. My response was I am not my cousin.

February 15^th, 1963

Sister LaSalle caught me with dirty collar and cuffs. I spent several hours washing them in the home economics room; now I have detention to make up for the time I was taking to wash the collar and cuffs. After all, cleanliness is next to Godliness or, so I was told. I dislike the uniform to begin with this just makes me dislike it more.

February 20^th, 1963

Oh man am I in trouble this time. Three of us from the Riders Club decided it was time for a dirty joke over the PA system. That did not go over well especially when Sister LaSalle walked in. We each had to write a one thousand essay on Why we do not tell dirty jokes over the PA. I hate this regimentation here. I want to go to public school. I guess I am going to have to work harder on Mom.

March 1^st, 1963

Sorry I have not written lately but I have found myself in hot water once again. This time Mom received a call from Sister LaSalle about my ah future at the Mount. I guess I should not have been up in the cloister but I really wanted to see how the other half lives. I thought I would see hair shirts and self flagellation items. All I saw was a small room with a bed and dresser...what a disappointment.

It would not have so bad but I was late getting down to my locker. I ran up the stairs slipped, slid back down the stairs only to land at Sister Martha’s feet. She asked me where I had been. I should not have tried to lie my way out of it...Sister Martha somehow knows when I lie to her.

March 17^th, 1963

Wearin O the Green, Saint Patrick’s Day. Time surely got away from me today. Math class is simply not my forte. Algebra I will have to go to summer school for whether I want to or not. I should have paid more attention but there is something about a nun hoping across the room to axioms that just didn’t do it for me.

November 22, 1963

I wanted to write more but things have been hectic. I did pass everything so I am now a sophomore. Today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald. We were in chorus and upon our return to the classroom the nuns had turned on the PA system. Most of us just sat there stunned. How could this have happened?

March 30^th, 2022

As I look back at the sixties I remember a time of being a young teenager. Life I think was much simpler then. There were no cell phones, we had a desk rotarty phone at home. We lived simply, we had fun. There were no computers and tablets but there was time to learn respect for myself and others. Time to grow up and become a decent human being.