TELL ME AIN'T THIS THE TRUTH
TO THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 30's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's
(and that means us)
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 with no 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
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 chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and 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 and 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 gene! ration has produced some of the best
risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have bee an explosion of innovation
and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and
we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
I love that! That is AWESOME!
Posted by: stace | 01/23/2005 at 03:37 PM
Amen!! What has happened to us? Are we so afraid of life that we stopped living? Do the monsters in the closet scare us so much we nailed the door shut? I wish we could again go back there, but alas I think that will never happen.
Posted by: Nina | 01/20/2005 at 07:52 AM
I love that post! It's so true.
Posted by: Janet | 01/19/2005 at 09:45 PM
I miss running around outside. I didn't have a bike (it was stolen two days after I got it). I was also not allowed to drink from ANYONE'S drink, including my own mother's. But that's her mother's rule, and we don't know where that stops... but the rest applied. I'd like to add:
We also had people who, if they hurt your kid, would help pay for stuff if you needed help.
Posted by: alektra | 01/19/2005 at 05:03 PM
I would go back to those days in a heart beat
Posted by: Laura | 01/19/2005 at 03:48 PM
amen to that!
Posted by: debby | 01/19/2005 at 02:50 PM