I like to start Saturdays off with an episode or two of The Adventures Of Superman. This is the original TV series staring George Reeves (the best Superman and, more importantly, the best Clark Kent.)

Back in East Quogue it was common for me to get up early, brew a pot of coffee, and head downstairs to my TV/Train room to watch Superman without disturbing my sleeping household. After watching Superman I would go to the trains and run the trains that I began acquiring on Leland Avenue back in the early sixties.

There’s some psychology going on there I am quite sure.

The first episodes of Superman were filmed in 1951 but did not air until 1952. No HDTV back then, most had to settle for a nine inch black and white TV.

Harry Truman was still our President. The Soviet Union was our major international threat. The H Bomb was about to be tested for the first time.

I am quite sure that if you were to poll Americans at the time a fair amount of anxiety and fear would be common to the citizenry.

In addition to the Soviets and H Bombs, race relations had not progressed; polio was a dreaded disease; and the Korean War was raging. The only difference is that peopler didn’t have to watch it on TV 24/7 like we do today.

Despite all this, people remember this time as the beginning of Happy Days. Baby Boomers were being born; suburbia was on the rise; and the glorious post war era was in full swing.

I suppose that is why I resort to Superman and Lionel trains on Saturday mornings.

It’s always nice to do  a little time traveling on a quiet Saturday morning. It sure beats watching Fox News or MSNBC.