“One Christmas I wanted a special toy: Johnny-7 OMA gun. You remember those? I remember the commercial. Two kids playing in the back yard. “Johnny to Peter, enemy sighted.” “Roger there. Open fire.” Then Johnny whips out his Johnny-7 OMA gun. Seven guns in one. Thing looked like a blast. But, of course, with my old man…Christmas was just another opportunity to let me down”
Looks about right, except that we had the Encyclopedia Britannica on the shelf and I got a chemistry set because my parents weren’t big on guns. We looked a lot happier too.
The one time of year kids were allowed in the formals. See, back then about 1/2 the sq footage of a house was devoted to the formal living and dining rooms. No one could walk in there or the vacuum patterns would be ruined and mom would blow a fuse. Those rooms were allowed to be used only for the Christmas Tree, Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner, and when parents threw a loud boozy party for their chain smoking, polyester-slacked friends. Like the Victorians had their lawns to display their wealth, postwar Americans had formals.
I think she wanted the gun!
Who would not want want the Johnny Seven?
I swear. I had that same dress and haircut.
Weird. Never seen a Christmas pic like this where the kids don’t smile.
“One Christmas I wanted a special toy: Johnny-7 OMA gun. You remember those? I remember the commercial. Two kids playing in the back yard. “Johnny to Peter, enemy sighted.” “Roger there. Open fire.” Then Johnny whips out his Johnny-7 OMA gun. Seven guns in one. Thing looked like a blast. But, of course, with my old man…Christmas was just another opportunity to let me down”
Do they still sell strings of tinsel for Christmas trees?
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
My mom made sure our tree looked like that for twenty years.
They were pissed off
The proverbial BFG…
The joy radiating from this photo. Warms the heart.
We had a white tree with the rotating colored lights.
You’ll shoot your eye out
Everyone looks so happy…
This actually kinda looks like some of my family photos from the 90s.
Tinsel on the tree!
Nostalgic!
Neither child seems full of Christmas spirit or the least bit happy.
Looks about right, except that we had the Encyclopedia Britannica on the shelf and I got a chemistry set because my parents weren’t big on guns. We looked a lot happier too.
Hand over the reindeer and nobody gets hurt.
Where are the lawn darts? And why isn’t he hitting his sister with Clackers?
Looks like a proof of life hostage photo.
I think I had that same dress. Plaid cotton dresses and knee socks. Throw in a pair of Buster Brown shoes and the ensemble is complete.
It looked identical in NJ
Wow. Johnny 7. Doesn’t the pistol click out and actually fire plastic bullets? My brothers had one each. I had a bazooka. Fun times.
You should see what the viet cong got for Christmas that year.
That’s a little young for a thousand yard stare
everyone looks miserable
Grew up just north of South bend across the border, yep our pictures looked similar
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!
Elkhart here. Very cool!!!!!
The one time of year kids were allowed in the formals. See, back then about 1/2 the sq footage of a house was devoted to the formal living and dining rooms. No one could walk in there or the vacuum patterns would be ruined and mom would blow a fuse. Those rooms were allowed to be used only for the Christmas Tree, Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner, and when parents threw a loud boozy party for their chain smoking, polyester-slacked friends. Like the Victorians had their lawns to display their wealth, postwar Americans had formals.