When I grew up in the 1950s

For a boy then it was much more about technology both mechanical and electrical then now. Now I feel it is much more about software like in Video Games and things like that and maybe becoming some kind of computer hacker to a greater or lesser degree now.

But, then we were expected as boys to prepare to be drafted into the military by age 18. Even the gymn classes from Junior high on reflected this cruel approach to life. So, being beat up in Gymn during school hours was a normal part of living then especially in junior high. For example, a smaller less defensive boy in the locker room would be whipped with towels by older boys while they were laughing as they put welts all over the younger smaller boy by whipping and snapping their towels against his bare naked body. 

I was always big for my age and very strong and capable both mentally and physically, so I wasn't physically attacked like this like smaller less combative boys often were. Whenever I could physically survive the situation I would often intercede along with other classmates to protect smaller less verbally or physically combative boys from further harm.

So, especially in junior high school we often were left to "survive any way we could" in preparation for becoming soldiers. the problem with this of course is that the smaller non-combative boys might be driven to suicide or worse by these events. So, in this sense in Junior High and also in High school it was "survival of the fittest" or "The law of the jungle" that we faced then in life which I believe now was in preparation for fighting and dying as soldiers by age 18 in places like Korea and Viet Nam and later in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

So, luckily for everyone, the Draft ended in the 1970s with 50,000 of boys my age dead over there and many coming back mentally as well as physically maimed for life.

So, I was glad to see the "Gladiator" days of the 1950s and 1960s in public schools over which were also a carry over from World War I and World war II also.

I was a boy during these times and obviously being a girl then was very different than being a boy then but I'm not sure exactly how to speak to that so all the ladies from the 1950s and 1960s will have to speak to what that was like.