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TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED
the 1930's, 40's,
50's,
60's and 70's !!
First, we survived being born to
mothers who smoked and/or drank while
they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue
cheese dressing and didn't get tested for
diabetes.
Then after that trauma,
our baby cribs
were
covered with bright
colored
lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on
medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we
rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to
mention, the risks we took
hitchhiking.
As children,
we would ride
in cars without seat belts or air
bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up
on a warm day
was always a special
treat. .
We drank water from the garden
hose
and NOT from a water bottle.
We shared one soft drink with
four friends, from one bottle,
and NO ONE
actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter and
drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't
overweight because
WE
WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We
would leave home in the morning and play all
day,
as long as we were back when the
streetlights came on.
No
one was able to reach us all day. And we were
O.K.
We would spend hours building
our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down
the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we
learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations,
Nintendo's, X-boxes,
no video games at all,
no 99 channels on cable,
no video tape
movies, no surround sound, no cell phones,
no personal computers,no Internet or
Internet chatrooms..
WE HAD FRIENDS
we went
outside
and found
them!
We fell out of trees, got cut,
broke bones and teeth
and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.
We made up games with sticks and
tennis balls and ate worms and although
we were told it would happen,
we did not
put out very many eyes,
nor did
the worms live in us
forever.
We rode bikes or walked to
a friend's house
knocked on the door or rang
the bell,
or just walked in and talked to
them!
Little League had tryouts and
not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had
to learn to deal with
disappointment.
Imagine that!
The idea of a parent bailing us
out if we broke the law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced
some of the best risk-takers,
problem
solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an
explosion of innovation and new
ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success
and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
I just wanted to share this with
others who have had the luck to grow up as kids,
before the government regulated our lives for
our own good. I have received so many of these
over the past years that I felt it was worth
another piece with the following addition from
a person who tried to sum up several pieces as one.
Please see the bottom for companion pieces.
Close your eyes.....And go back........
Before the Internet or the MAC,
Before semiautomatics and crack
Before chronic and indo
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo
Way back........
I'm talkin' 'bout hide and go seek at dusk.
Sittin' on the porch.
Hot bread and butter.
Eatin' a 'super dooper sandwich'(A Dagwood)!
Playing "Red light, Green light."
Chocolate milk, Lunch tickets,
Penny candy in a brown paper bag.
Hopscotch, butterscotch, doubledutch
Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y'all!
Mother, May I?
Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds,
Jaw breakers, blowpops, Gdog Janes.
Running through the sprinkler
The smell of the sun and lickin' salty lips....
Wait...
Catchin' lightening bugs in a jar,
Playin sling shot and Red Rover.
When around the corner seemed far away,
And going downtown seemed like going somewhere.
Bedtime, Climbing trees,
A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers.
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Sittin on the curb,
Jumpin down the steps, Jumpin on the bed, Pillow fights.
Being tickled to death.
Runnin till you were out of breath.
Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.
Being tired from playin'.... Remember that?
I ain't finished just yet...
What about the girl that had the big bubbly hand writing??
Licking the beaters when your mother made a cake.
Oh!! And remember...
When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyers), and the only time you wore them at school, was for "gym."
When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there.
When nobody owned a purebred dog.
When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a huge bonus.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then.
When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday.
When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time. And, you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot!
When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes, or towels hidden Inside the box.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him, or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed and did!
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Disapproval of our parents and grandparents was a much bigger threat!
Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo".
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly."
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old, referred to anyone over 20.
The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and rules didn't matter.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties!
It WAS magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
It was unbelievable that dodgeball wasn't an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare."
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figure toys.
No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.
"Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks,"Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us....go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us.....pass this on.
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!
Please visit the Kids companion sites.
TimeKids.htm
50sKids.htm
50sKids3.htm
50sKids4.htm
50sKids5.htm
50sAdult.htm
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