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Back in the Day. It seems like everybody either smoked or chewed – or smoked and chewed. You could even catch a few players stealing a few puffs in the dugouts at times, at least, in a few of the minor league games I grew up watching at Buff Stadium in Houston. And, coming out of the 12 noon Sunday Mass at St. Christopher’s in Park Place, we kids had to stay out-of-the-way of the dad smokers stampede for the great outdoors and that first post-services smoking hit of the Lord’s Day afternoon.
People smoked everywhere, even lighting up on a closed full elevator. Insensitivity to the impact of smoking on others was the norm, as was throwing a used up cigarette butt on the floor of a retail store or restaurant and then, just maybe, stepping on it to be sure the flame was out.
Add drunkenness and drunk driving to the mixture of behaviors that were acceptable on weekends, holidays, and times of celebration or commiseration, and, well, you pretty much have a nut-shell picture of how the high tide of good-times floated in our culture through the 1950s and 1960s on our bungling way through the civil rights movement era, Viet Nam, and the so-called war on drugs period of the late 20th century.
Times have changed. We are all still far away from unattainable perfection, but so what? We are still a whole lot better – and worse – than we used to be. We’ve just altered the ways in which we look at better and worse.
At least, we’re not out there at Minute Maid Park in 2017, creating the same kind of smoky blue haze that we used to generate for every game played at the Astrodome during its early years.
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Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle
Tags: A "Times Have Changed" Pictorial, baseball smoking ads
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 12, 2017 at 2:15 am |
Now the greatest danger comes from people texting or talking on their cell phones while driving. At least the driver with the beer in his hand is actually looking through the windshield.
When I see someone weaving, driving too slow or changing lanes without signaling or doing what used to be associated with drunk drivers, I assume it’s a phone-head or texting zombie.
Whether as a pedestrian or behind the wheel, the greatest threat to my life every day comes from these ubiquitous idiots.
September 12, 2017 at 2:16 am |
I’ve seen guys chew, smoke and drink at the same time. Those were the days. Youth. I wonder if being young is as much fun in this age of righteous indignation.
September 12, 2017 at 3:00 am |
BILL
Great piece of work – YES –> it’s a wonder that those of us that did smoke are still around. ….pure addiction… going on 6 years now tobacco FREE
Callahan – STHS ’56
September 12, 2017 at 3:16 am |
Congratulations, Pat! Good to hear from you.
PS: It’s a lucky 11-years away from tobacco for me.
McCurdy – STHS’56