{"id":2247,"date":"2026-10-08T22:59:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T22:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innerview.ca\/?p=2247"},"modified":"2026-10-08T22:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T22:59:38","slug":"sunday-sauce-two-feet-in-one-shoe-and-lessons-from-the-60s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innerview.ca\/index.php\/2026\/10\/08\/sunday-sauce-two-feet-in-one-shoe-and-lessons-from-the-60s\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Sauce, “Two Feet in One Shoe,” and Lessons From the 60s"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ACE1AF9F-90B4-4F83-9C38-5EE3149CF219\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

When I look back on growing up in the 1960s, I sometimes wonder how we survived without smartphones, the internet, streaming services, or GPS.
\nWe couldn’t instantly look up an answer, order something online, or send a message to someone on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n

And yet, somehow, we managed.<\/p>\n

Every generation has something to teach us. Not everything from the past was better, and I certainly wouldn’t want to give up all the conveniences and advances we have today. But I do believe there are some values from those days that are worth remembering\u2014and perhaps bringing back.
\nThe funny thing is, those values weren’t usually taught through lectures or instructions. They were learned by watching the adults around us. Actions really do speak louder than words.<\/p>\n

Growing Up Between Two Worlds<\/b><\/p>\n

I grew up in an Italian home, with parents who had come from Italy and were building a new life in a different country. My childhood was a blend of two worlds.<\/p>\n

There was the world outside our home\u2014the schools, the neighbourhood, the music, television, friends, and the rapidly changing culture of the 1960s.
\nAnd then there was the world inside our home.
\nThat world smelled like garlic, tomatoes, fresh bread, and Sunday dinner. It was filled with Italian words, strong opinions, laughter, hard work, family traditions, and the unmistakable message that family came first.<\/p>\n

Family, food, and faith were the trio served up in our home\u2014not just on Sundays, but throughout our daily lives. They were more than traditions; they were values we lived by.<\/p>\n

My parents worked hard. They didn’t complain much. They showed up, kept going, and figured things out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They also had their own ways of teaching us the rules of life.
\nWhenever we went somewhere for a visit or an outing, my dad would remind us to stay close and behave ourselves with his favourite expression: \u201cTwo feet in one shoe.\u201d
\nTo us, it meant: stay put, don’t wander off, and don’t give your parents a reason to worry.
\nAt the time, it was just something Dad said.<\/p>\n

Looking back, I realize it was another little lesson in responsibility, awareness, and knowing how to conduct yourself when you were out in the world.<\/p>\n

They taught us about sacrifice without necessarily sitting us down to explain what sacrifice meant. We watched them live it.
\nThey taught us how to cope when things didn’t go our way. They taught us to be resilient, resourceful, and grateful.
\nAt the time, I didn’t realize how much those experiences were shaping me.
\nI do now.<\/p>\n

You Didn’t Need Much to Have a Good Time<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the things I remember most about growing up in the 60s is how easily we could entertain ourselves.
\nA bike, a ball, a few friends, and a little imagination could keep us occupied for hours.
\nWe made up games. We explored the neighbourhood. We played outside until someone called us home. Ordinary things could become adventures.<\/p>\n

There was no expectation that someone\u2014or something\u2014had to entertain us.
\nWe didn’t have a screen in our pocket telling us what to watch, where to go, or what to do next. Looking back, I think that’s a valuable lesson.
\nSometimes having less encourages us to appreciate more.<\/p>\n

Learn to be Resourceful<\/b><\/p>\n

When you had limited resources, you learned to make do. If something broke, you didn’t automatically throw it away and buy another one. You tried to fix it.
\nIf you didn’t know how to do something, you asked someone who did\u2014or you experimented until you figured it out.<\/p>\n

In a way, we were ahead of the recycling movement. We reused things because we had to, and we learned that not everything needed to be replaced simply because something newer was available.
\nGrowing up that way taught me that there is usually a way forward if you’re willing to be patient, creative, and persistent. I still find myself relying on that lesson today.<\/p>\n

Respect Wasn’t Optional<\/b><\/p>\n

We were taught to say “please” and “thank you.”
\nWe listened when adults were speaking. We showed consideration for other people. Teachers were generally treated with respect, as were parents, grandparents, and other members of the community.<\/p>\n

Of course, people weren’t perfect. There were difficult personalities and disagreements, but there was an expectation that courtesy mattered.
\nRespect mattered.
\nIntegrity mattered.
\nYou were expected to treat people properly\u2014not because someone was watching, but because that was simply how you were supposed to behave.
\nThat’s a lesson worth holding onto.<\/p>\n

Your Word Meant Something<\/b><\/p>\n

There was also a time when giving your word carried real weight.
\nIf you said you were going to do something, people expected you to do it.
\nA handshake could be enough.
\nYou didn’t need a written contract for every little commitment.<\/p>\n

Being dependable was part of your reputation.
\nIf you said you’d be there, you showed up.
\nIf you borrowed something, you returned it.
\nIf you made a promise, you tried your best to keep it.
\nIt seems simple, but trust is built on simple things.
\nYour word meant something.<\/p>\n

Community Was Our Social Network<\/b><\/p>\n

Neighbours knew each other.
\nChildren played together. Families visited. People stopped to talk rather than walking past with their eyes fixed on a screen.
\nThere were no cellphones and no social media. Staying connected required a little more effort\u2014and perhaps because of that, those connections could feel more intentional.<\/p>\n

Community was our safety net.
\nPeople shared. They helped. They checked in on one another.
\nAnd in an Italian family, sharing usually involved food.
\nFood wasn’t just food. It was an expression of love.
\nYou didn’t simply ask, “Are you hungry?\u201d You were fed.Then you were asked if you wanted more.Then you were given more anyway.
\nThere was a sense that we belonged to something larger than ourselves.
\nWe certainly had disagreements and difficult relationships\u2014every generation does\u2014but there was also a feeling that community mattered.
\nThat’s something I think we could all use a little more of today.<\/p>\n

Learn to be Patient<\/b><\/p>\n

We had to wait.
\nWe waited for our favourite song to play on the radio.
\nWe waited for photographs to be developed.
\nWe waited for letters to arrive.
\nWe waited for our favourite television programs to come on.
\nIf we wanted something we couldn’t afford, we saved until we could buy it.
\nThere was no instant gratification.
\nWaiting was simply part of life.
\nAt the time, I probably didn’t appreciate it. But looking back, I realize that waiting taught us patience\u2014and patience taught us to appreciate things more when they finally arrived.
\nNot everything had to happen immediately.
\nMaybe that’s something we’ve forgotten.<\/p>\n

Sundays Were Different<\/b><\/p>\n

I especially miss Sundays.
\nSunday had its own rhythm.
\nThere was Mass, food, family, conversation, and tradition.<\/p>\n

And the best part of Sunday was waking up to the unmistakable smell of tomato sauce simmering in the kitchen. Before breakfast was even finished, we knew what was coming. And if we were lucky, we got to dunk a piece of fresh bread into the sauce.
\nThat little taste was almost a ritual.
\nIt wasn’t anything fancy. It was just bread and tomato sauce.
\nBut somehow, it tasted like Sunday.<\/p>\n

The day seemed to slow down. There was something comforting about knowing that family would gather around the table, the food would be plentiful, and for a little while, the outside world could wait.<\/p>\n

We didn’t realize it at the time, but we were creating the memories we would one day become so fond of.
\nThat’s the strange thing about childhood.
\nYou rarely recognize the important moments while you’re living them.
\nYou only understand their value years later.<\/p>\n

Looking Back<\/b><\/p>\n

I wouldn’t say everything was better when I was growing up.
\nIt wasn’t.
\nThere were problems then just as there are problems now. Some things have changed for the better, and I’m grateful for many of the advances we’ve made.
\nIt’s incredible how much the world has progressed since the 60s.<\/p>\n

But sometimes I do feel like we lost something valuable along the way.
\nI miss the simplicity.
\nI miss the freedom.
\nI miss the feeling that an ordinary afternoon could turn into an adventure.
\nI miss being present without feeling the need to document everything.<\/p>\n

And I miss the feeling that people were sometimes simply together\u2014with no need for a notification, a photograph, or a post to prove it.<\/p>\n

The 60s are long gone now, but they left their mark on me.
\nLife doesn’t have to be faster to be better.
\nLife doesn’t have to be louder to be noticed.
\nLife doesn’t have to be more complicated to be meaningful.
\nPerhaps the biggest lesson I took from those years is that having fewer conveniences didn’t necessarily mean having less.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, having less gave us more opportunities to discover things for ourselves.
\nMore time to imagine.
\nMore reasons to talk.
\nMore opportunities to solve our own problems.
\nMore reasons to depend on one another.
\nAnd maybe, most importantly, more opportunities to simply be present.<\/p>\n

I realize now that many of the lessons I learned back then still serve me today:
\nBe kind.
\nKeep your word.
\nWork hard.
\nAppreciate what you have.
\nLearn to solve your own problems.
\nBe patient.
\nStay connected to your community.
\nAnd never underestimate the value of good friends, good neighbours, family, and a little imagination.
\nThose are lessons that never really go out of style.<\/p>\n


\nAnd Then There Was the 60s\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

Of course, we can’t talk about the 60s without giving an honourable mention to the fashion.
\nBell-bottoms. Tie-dyes. Mini skirts.
\nThe decade broke a lot of rules, and fashion became a way for people to express their individuality.<\/p>\n

And then there was the music.
\nBeatlemania, Motown, rock, soul, folk, Woodstock\u2014the music of the 60s wasn’t just something you listened to. It became part of the identity of a generation.
\nIn many ways, it helped start a revolution.
\nThe music, the fashion, the social changes, the new ideas\u2014it was an extraordinary time to be young.<\/p>\n

More power to the people.
\nCan you dig it?<\/p>\n

Maybe that’s another thing the 60s taught us:<\/p>\n

Don’t be afraid to question things. Don’t be afraid to be different. And don’t be afraid to dance to your own music.<\/p>\n

Peace and love,<\/p>\n

Antoinette Giacobbe<\/p>\n

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