By John ‘Butch’ Dale
Guest Columnist

When I go shopping or dine out, I am always amazed at the number of people nowadays who have tattoos … both men and women. Some of these people have several tattoos, while others have perhaps one or two. All three of my sons have tattoos. Just a few years ago it was rare to see anyone sporting a tattoo. So the question arises, is this tattoo phenomenon here to stay … or is it just a passing fad?

John ‘Butch’ Dale

When I think back a few decades, I can recall several fads dealing with fashion or lifestyles or toys for instance. Some lasted a few years, while others were here and gone in the blink of an eye.

In the 1950s, my school conducted civil defense drills in which we had to crawl under our desk … “Duck and cover!” in the event Russia dropped an atomic bomb on our little town. Now that was crazy!

The 50s was also the era of phone booth stuffing, panty raids, sock hops, drive-in theaters, 3-D movies, visits to the soda shop, and fuzzy dice hanging from rearview mirrors.

How many of you gals had a poodle skirt, bobby socks, cat-eye glasses, saddle oxfords, or a conical bra?

Did you fellows ever wear rolled-up jeans, a skinny white belt, or a Davy Crockett coonskin cap?

And what about those 1950s toy fads … army men, hula hoops, baking powder submarines, Tiny Tears, and of course … Barbie?

The 60s had their share of fads, too. You might recall such things as lava lamps, love beads, bell bottoms, and mini-skirts. The music evolved from rock-n-roll into Beatlemania and Beach Boys surf sounds, with fads such as the twist, watusi, the shake, and go-go dancing making the rounds. Kids just had to have Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe, Chatty Cathy, Easy-Bake oven, Lite Brite, Etch-a-Sketch, and Rock-Em-Sock-Em robots. And of course, girls who had purchased a Barbie doll when it arrived in 1959 now begged for companion dolls — Ken, Skipper, and Midge. And I’ll wager some of you started a Troll doll collection, too.

John ‘Butch’ Dale’s school photo from 1959-1960 school year.

After the hippies arrived in the late 1960s, the next decade of the 70s brought us such fads as platform shoes, tube tops, leisure suits, go-go boots, tie-dye shirts, mood rings, and hot pants as we headed out to the local disco. Of course, we bought shag carpet, waterbeds, blacklight posters, and 8-track players.

No true country guy or gal could be without their CB radio … “Breaker one-niner, that’s a 10-4, good buddy, this is Buzzard Bobtail calling Big Mama … Turn on your bird-dog and cut the go-go juice in the double nickels … there’s a Kojak with a Kodak at Checkpoint Charlie and a Smokey in a plain wrapper at the 26.” I can’t believe people carried on conversations like that. That’s the decade I became a Smokey Bear … better known here as the local “County Mountie in a Red-Light Special.”

How many of you actually purchased a pet rock? Did you buy your kids a Big Wheel, Stretch Armstrong, or Holly Hobby? Of course, the 70s was also the era when we became addicted to Atari and played Pong (and later on Pac-man), although the more intellectual minds were challenged by trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube.

When I look at photos from old school yearbooks, I can pretty much figure out what decade it is just by looking at hairstyles … popular at the time, but many of which are downright hilarious when you see them today.

Girls sported pony tails, or a Poodle cut, or a bouffant which was “teased” and lacquered with tons of Aqua-Net hairspray. Then there appeared curled bobs or long hair (which was straightened with a hot iron) … followed by the “wild” looks of the 80s and 90s.

Boys had crew cuts, long hair, shags, Afros, and mullets … just to mention a few. How many of you guys had a “ducktail?” When I was in the sixth grade, I had a Wally Cleaver “jelly-roll” haircut and used “Butchwax” to keep it in place!

Nowadays it seems that anything goes … red hair, green hair, blue hair, buzz cuts on one side only, bald heads with tatoos all over, etc. etc. I can’t figure it out, but hey, it’s OK … people just trying to be unique I guess.

What the heck … I think it’s time for me to get another Wally Cleaver “jelly-roll.” Where can I buy some Butchwax? And if any of you young folks out there are contemplating a future occupation, you might consider becoming a tattoo removal expert. I believe you may have plenty of customers some day