Tom Purcell > Quotes

“In the 1950s, the standard bike had been the cruiser design, a gargantuan fender-covered machine built exclusively for adults. There was only one speed (slow) and you stopped the bike by reversing the pedals and pressing down hard. In 1962, however, Schwinn designer Al Fritz had an idea. He’d heard about a new youth trend centered in California: retrofitting bicycles with drag-racing motorcycle accoutrements. “Choppers” — custom motorcycles with long handlebars — were all the rage. Fritz introduced chopper elements into his new design. The Schwinn Stingray was born. It had smaller, 20-inch tires — with flat racing treads — and high handlebars and a banana seat. Sales were initially disappointing — parents didn’t want their children riding such an odd looking bike — but as the Stingray began making its way into America’s neighborhoods, every kid had to have one. And every bike manufacturer began manufacturing bikes just like it — a style we referred to as the “spider” bike.”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir

“Here’s a dirty little secret from the ‘70s: lots of big families lost a kid now and again.”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir

“According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent nearly $50 billion on pets last year. Nearly $20 billion was spent on dog grub alone — including the expensive "gourmet" stuff that no dogs ate when I was a kid. Jingles dined daily on a can of Ken-L Ration — stinky hamburger-looking stuff that she happily devoured nonetheless.”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir

“Aside from church and rare family events, we were always home. I can recall our family going out to dinner once throughout my entire childhood — if you don’t count vacations. For starters, there was the issue of cost. My father was the sole breadwinner. Taking six kids and two adults to even a modestly priced restaurant cost well over $100 in today’s dollars — money my parents simply could not spare. Then there was logistics. In the early 1970s, my father drove a Plymouth Fury III — a Starship-Enterprise-looking thing with faux wood paneling on its sides.”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir

“In those days, kids didn't participate in one adult-run activity after another. We didn't sit inside air-conditioned homes playing video games. No, we were out in the hills roaming and exploring and creating all day long. We collected scrap wood and built shacks. We damned up the creek and caught minnows and crayfish. One summer, we built a motorized go-cart with some scrap items from a junked riding mower and a couple of two-by-fours. It was one of the great engineering feats in my neighborhood's history.”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir

“I've been blessed to know her a long time. For 50 years she has toiled, struggled, suffered and sacrificed on my behalf. She's given everything she has without asking anything in return. If”
― Tom Purcell, Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood: A Humorous Memoir