“horrible” is relative, romanigypsyeyes. Judged only by today’s standards, perhaps. Adults in the 50s had memories of the mass starvation of the Depression, the horrors of world war and the Holocaust. Compared to their recent past, the 50s were a substantial improvement, even for the poorest and most maligned members of society. Certainly no worse, and likely at least somewhat better, than they had experienced in 1930, so things were improving.