11.20.09 - 11:00AM
- by
Urlesque Staff

My Parents Were Awesome - Believe It Or Not, 'Mom and Dad' Were Cool

topic:
Retro Web
Fashion
Photos

With Mom Jeans now a permanent staple of the lexicon, parents are often given a bad name these days, at least when it comes to fashion and grooming. Often, though, we forget that moms and dads everywhere were supercool, well-dressed, and even ATTRACTIVE (believe it!). Just because Mom now only rocks Talbots blazers and Dad doesn't see what's "so bad" about his orthopedic sneakers doesn't mean that they didn't look darn good back in the day.

That's where My Parents Were Awesome comes in. Started by Urlesque's own blogger Eliot Glazer, the site celebrates and honors our parents (and grandparents) by posting pictures submitted by readers of their preceding bloodlines in candids and portraits that display romance, sadness, humor, sentimentality, and loads of FIERCENESS.

Not only do the pictures pay tribute to the people who made us who we are today, but the site also waxes nostalgic for an era during which every photo wasn't meticulously taken with the possibility of being a glamorous Facebook profile pic (in which we MUST ALWAYS look our best). Instead, these were candid, beautiful moments that truly stand the test of time, making My Parents Were Awesome an online destination where you might find yourself scrolling through for an hour or two.

link:// My Parents Were Awesome

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11.28.09

By NANCY

Neutral

THAT'S WHY I LOVE THAT SONG, "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT IN COLOR." THAT IS SOOOO TRUE.

11.28.09

By Mandi

Neutral

When I was an 80's kid, my parents would always say: wait until you have children, you'll see. So, I chose to never have children. Pictures either. (That was big in the 80's too, mind you.) Call me selfish - but you can't call me a drain on society or pining for times gone by. They're gone and I just don't feel like posting pictures to see how cool someone 'once was', helps now.

11.28.09

By Joanne

Neutral

I see one comment that reminds us that it wasn't the good old days for everyone. I am 76 years old, and you had to be tough to live back in the Depression and WWII. I remember children that were abused and no one did anything about it. It was considered a family matter and no one intervened for the child. Black people had very little protection from the law. Same for gays and women, for that matter. Here again no one would intervene for abused wives. Being white I started out with priveleges and protection that was not enjoyed by many. The main difference was that many chidren lived in a more protective environment. The media did not expose them to so much and parents seemed to shield children from the evil in the world. There have always been problems, just different ones. But mainly we have good and evil in the world - just decide which side you are on and live your life accordingly.

11.28.09

By Shelli Bloom

Neutral

This is very heartwarming. Thank you.

11.28.09

By missy

Neutral

I grew up in the 50's& 60's and it was great, music was really music back than. And it was even better in the 40's. It sad to see how things have changed and how bad things have gotten in this world.I have grand children growing up in this scewed up world and it truly worries me. In the 50 & 60's you could walk to school or the store and not have to worry about some pervert taking you, In the evenings neighbors sat on they're porch's together, and they were there to help each other. and yes Men dressed like men , and woman wore dresses,people had "class"back than. Even the 70's & 80's werent that bad, But today it's out of controll, People want to take God out of the Schools and Out of the Country, God made America Strong and what it is.With out the Lord our Country would be nothing.Yes I also wish we could turn back time ,life was so much better than!

11.28.09

By Joe

Neutral

With all due respect to previous eras, in all honesty you can't live in the past. Nor can you live in the future. Life is precious and all you can do is live in the NOW! On the plus side of today's world, practically all of us have our own 'Star Trek' communicators complete with our own cel numbers. We also have The Internet and iPods, which I'm sure people from the past would give their eye-teeth to enjoy. Not to mention an electric sports car called the 'Tesla' that could go 0-60mph in 4 seconds flat and will never need a drop of gas, and the list goes on. We indeed live in a 'Brave New World.' It's our choice to enjoy it as it is, warts and all (just like virtually all eras that came before) or we could choose to live in the past which is essentially impossible. Carpe Diem or SEIZE THE DAY!

11.28.09

By johninfortlee

Neutral

Nice Photos. But don't comment how great things where in the past with out taking responsibility for the mess that we made for these kids. "Teach your children well there fathers hell" remember that song we all sang too. We have an endless war going on. We can't fix the old decaying stuff. Or build new stuff except shopping malls.I am ashamed of myself and our generation

11.28.09

By Jackie

Neutral

Sex,Drugs,and Rock & Roll
Bring back the good old days.
I'am 65yrs old and i sure miss the 60's.I used to party till dawn.Do lines,smoke Panama reds and Buda sticks.Now if i try any of that I'LL DIE.
But i sure miss the good times.
"PARTY ON"

11.28.09

By James

Neutral

Old people rock! I am 36 years old and I love to talk to old people because they are interesting and are some of the few people around with anything intelligent to say. They have these things that most of us have never heard of called "manners" and "class." They didn't get old by being stupid and if we would just shut our mouths and listen to them every now and then, we just might learn something and at the very least save ourselves a whole lot of time and trouble. They also have "life experience." Anyone who can survive two world wars, a great depression, prohibition,inflation, wars in Southeast Asia, 9/11 and countless other historical moments is OK in my book. I salute every senior citizen out there....you guys are awesome!

11.28.09

By Pat

Neutral

My folks broke up when I was 5, but I was raised by wonderful grandparents. I remember getting our warm winter coats on and getting on the bus, after having walked 7 blocks to the bus stop, and going downtown to Christmas shop. We would walk from one dimestore to the other, there were 3 in a row and then we would walk to the better department store and just wonder at the magic in the windows. Petersens, Parkers, and Sears always had large displays of holiday scenes. Moving elves making toys or a sleigh moving through the 'snow'
Then another ride home on the bus. I am 70 and wish i could do it all over again...........

12.18.09

By Melanie

Neutral

I love this website. I was born in 1954 and reading this made many memories. None of us would ever have sat in front of a "computer" for hours. Mom would let us walk or ride bicycles to the shopping center on Saturdays and no one was afraid we would get kidnapped. Usually a dollar would be all we needed to get a hot fudge sundae at the counter of Woolworth. If you were lucky, you would choose a balloon, pop it and find out you won a free sundae. We would stay outside playing jump rope, riding bicycles and red rover game until dinner time. When it was raining we spent a whole weekend playing Barbie dolls in the playroom. We made furniture out of a shoe box and whatever we could find. We had black and white TV for most of my growing up. My favorite thing on Saturday night was watching Lawrence Welk with my dad and dancing with him in the den. When I started dating, my boyfriends knew that we would not go out until Lawrence Welk was over. I still watch those reruns on Saturday night and miss the dancing with my dad. My best friend across the street and I would spend the evening lying on the warm concrete and watching the stars. We also would climb out the bedroom window and lie on the roof to watch the stars. My sister now lives in the "house across the street". The first thing I did when my sister and her son moved into this house, I opened the window and layed on the roof. It wasn't as easy as it had been but I got it done.
I can't imagine being a child that stays inside all weekend playing with a computer. I have tried to give many of these traditions to my grandchildren. How GRAND it is to be a GRANDMOTHER.

11.29.09

By Luigi

Neutral

Hollywood and lowering of our standards is the blame . Not all of America,s bought into this many many of us still do the best for America and our society. It takes courage and hard work.

11.29.09

By stilldezzin

Neutral

Life is a nightmare now! for most living beings of all species on earth. There have always been problems, but I don't get anyone who's happy with things right now.

Coming from a culture that reveres our ancestors and respects their contributions to our lives (we say we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors), I don't get the pop-culture disrespect for anything or anyone from the past, either. And I am so glad of that.

11.29.09

By Chris

Neutral

I'm a baby boomer and this site is one of the best. Kind of puts things into perspective, at least for me....
Life's a journey, not a destination.
Thanks

11.29.09

By Donna

Neutral

My teen years were in the 60's. Best time to grow up was during that time. There were alot of protests over the Viet Nam War and everyone you talked too had someone in that war or knew someone in that war. The Beatles just came out, I can still remember seeing them for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show in black and white. The Beach Boys, I had to have a "surfer shirt" to wear to school. Woodstock was the big thing then too.......I happened to live in Illinois and a "tish" too young to travel to New York for Woodstock but I was there with ALL OF THEM in spirit. High School, girls could NOT wear long pants, patent leather shoes (boys could look up your dress), we could NOT leave the school grounds.
In those days you did not have to lock your front door, just leave the screen door closed and all would be the same the next morning. Sad thing about all of the times I had then........I did NOT REALIZE how good I had it. I was so interested in getting a job, an apartment, a boyfriend, a way to work, etc. Life in general. Then.........pregnancy when I was 17........that was a NO NO in my teen years. Usually when that happened the girls were sent to another state to have their babies and adopted out. I kept mine and married way too young. The MOON LANDING I remember so clearly as my baby moved for the first time. What a time to go back too. GOOD MEMORIES !!!!

11.29.09

By L

Neutral

My Mom and Dad were the ultimate "AWESOME" because they adopted me as a newborn, and a toddler little boy a couple of years later. They "chose" us, and they did not have to. They could have gone along and enjoyed their careers and happy, busy social life without having to deal with raising kids. My hubby and I are parents ourselves now, and if we do half as good of a job with our little one as my Mom and Dad did raising my brother and me, then our son will be one lucky little boy.