The Wealth Curve

"Profits are Better than Wages"… Jim Rohn

What made Christmas in 1970 The Best Ever?

What made Christmas in 1970 The Best Ever?

I was NOT wearing Converse Chuck Taylors on my feet; for those who have no clue they were hotter than Jordan’s or anything since and had no major endorser. They had a run on cool that was second to none, most importantly they still look the same and have not changed since their introduction over 50 years ago. Just your basic black or basic white; low top or hi-top; that was it. The Chuck logo on your feet was the unofficial sign of your arrival as a man and the ULTIMATE IN COOL.

Their market domination was so powerful anything else was just considered a reject; and that’s exactly what non-Chucks were called Rejects a damn horrible name and it was associated with you if you had the misfortune to have to wear them. I had seen many fights over being called the R word back in those days. You were nothing on or off the court without some Chucks on your feet. Unlike Jordan’s they cost all of $10.00, an ungodly sum of working class money when rejects could be had for less than $2.00. I started begging for them in August of that year for my birthday to no avail. The begging continued heading into Christmas of 1970. I told my mom every day the major advantages of my feet having chucks on them; she did not fall for any of my tactics.
That morning I barely slept but as a boy crossing into manhood I really was hoping the man in red with the reindeer was really going to pay me a visit and help accelerate my passage into manliness. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ needed her ruby slippers, I needed some Chucks and I needed them real bad. I slid out of the bed that morning as the sun was rising, and took that long walk over to where the Christmas tree stood decorated and to my sheer amazement a Forest Green Raleigh Chopper 3+2 five-speed , the coolest bike on the planet was glistening under the Christmas lights.

My heart jumped out of my chest and for that moment I was the coolest reject wearing Forrest Green Raleigh Chopper riding kid in my neighborhood. My mom was a god!

It is amazing that my Mom could have completely satisfied my Christmas needs for just a $10 pair of sneakers. If today’s kids could get in a time machine and travel back to a time with no video or computer games, they might be able to relate to a kids single wish for a pair of sneakers, that did not even come true….

Needless to say I did get some Chucks three years later, with the payment from my first check from my first job; and I rode that bike until it was stolen a few years later.

However, by then I was walking in Chuck’s, and it was actually better than riding the Chopper….and way Cooler!!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Please leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts!

See You on the beaches of the world!

Hank Jennings

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