According to today's regulators
and bureaucrats, those of us
who were kids in the 40's,
50's, 60's, or even maybe
the early 70's probably
shouldn't have survived.

Our baby cribs were covered
with bright colored lead-based
paint.

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 seatbelts
or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup
truck on a warm day was
always a special treat.

We drank water from the
garden hose and not from
a bottle.

Horrors!

We ate cupcakes, bread and
butter, and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we were
never overweight because we were always outside
playing.

We shared one soft drink
with four friends, from one
bottle, and no one actually
died from this.

We would spend hours building
our go-carts out of scraps
and then rode 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 would leave home in the
morning and play all day,
as long as we were back
when the street lights
came on.

No one was able to
reach us all day.

NO CELL PHONES!!!!!

Unthinkable!


We did not have Playstations,
Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no
video games at all, no 99
channels on cable, video
tape movies, surround
sound, personal cell phones,
per sonal computers, or Internet
chat rooms.

We had friends!

We went outside and found
them.

We played dodge ball, and
sometimes, the ball would
really hurt.

We fell out of trees, got
cut and broke bones and
teeth, and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents.

They were accidents.


No one was to blame but us.

Remember accidents?

We had fights and punched
each other and got black
and blue and learned to get
over it.

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 inside us forever.

We rode bikes or walked to
a friend's home 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.

Some students weren't as
smart as others, so they
failed a grade and were
held back to repeat the
same grade.

Horrors!

Tests were not adjusted
for any reason.

Our actions were our own.

Consequences were expected.

The idea of a parent bailing
us out if we broke a law
was unheard o f.

They actually sided
with the law.

Imagine that!

This generation has produced
some of the best risk-takers
and 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.
Don'tcha wish you were over 30, Now?

Maybe that will explain some things about us "older folk"

The memories are flooding my mind with the dreams of yesteryear....

Great post, Z. I can remember doing quite a lot of those things in my youth and we never seemed to have a problem.

Rob

Uh, No I don't like bein over 30...

I don't have much hair left on the top of my head (it started growing in my nose and ears instead)

What I used to do all night, now takes me all night to do...
(Not realy, just a saying..but it's not like it was when I was 20)

The ol' clockweights hang a bit lower...

Ok, there's more, but that is enough to make me wish I was under 30!


Good post though, I just wish the things I mentioned didn't come with getting older

Man...great post ZENN. That does indeed bring back some awesome memories. Times are definitely changing, that's for sure (sometimes it seems like they're changing too fast to keep up with 'em).
As for not not surviving...well they might be right in my case: i did some patently stupid things in my youth, but i think that kind of goes with the territory
$SOLID$: Man, life has gotten immensely better ever since i hit 30, and every year there after. Maybe it's because i finally got old enough to quite giving a d@mn about "fitting in" and just started to enjoy being myself. Then again....i could just be in denial
If you'll excuse me, i've gotta go trim my nose hair

Thing is, it's the same thing with my generation, 15-18 right now. We actually played outside! The next round of kids are going to be messed up, they've had computers and video games in front of them since birth.

Ya, I played outside, we rode bikes, we were CHILDREN. Todays kids are WAY too soft. I like clipping through the streets at night and seeing kids on BMX and freestyle bikes grinding on benches and doing manuals that last for an eternity, it's a lot better than staying home and playing video games all day.

Now if y'all will excuse me, it's 65*F out, and I'm going to ride my Sting-Ray, something only a handful of people my age do.

Either the post dates have gotten out of whack somehow or you are getting old-timer's, err uhh, alzheimer's disease.
I could swear that you posted this just a few weeks ago (could have been someone else too I guess)

Edit: It wasn't you (you're not losing your memory just yet I guess ) but I did find that it was posted a few weeks ago, so I guess I ain't losing it either.

http://forums.pcapex.com/showthread.php?t=28306

I guess it deserved to be repeated though because it is oh so true.

You old farts.

Great post Zennz, too bad I can't identify though.

Quote: Originally Posted by TekXoID You old farts. Great post Zennz, too bad I can't identify though.

Just you wait, youngster....time is the great equalizer

Aaaahhh that was a great ride. You know, I have got to thinking, it seems like as soon as teenagers get a car they stop riding bikes. All of a sudden they are now child's play toys.

That's fine with me, I have the coolest toy on the block

My parents raised the three of us kids like that, and Im glad they did. But I do hate to see this stuff going around me. For example I just got rid of my cell phone and now my girlfiend wants me to get another one (she said everyone owns a cell phone and there a necessity ). I dont want to because I hate paying the bill, so that problem was easy to solve. Also I made it 20 years without a cell phone so I think I can make it a few more.

I think I did about all those things except I never hitchedhiked or ate worms. I did eat eats when I was young though.

When I was in the 5th grade I did get a playstation but I'm sure you had an Atari when you WERE young.

In little league, we had tryouts, but luckily I was a first round draft pic

Quote: Originally Posted by TekXoID You old farts.

Shut up and come help me empty out my collostomy bag...

And while you're at it, quit hiding my walker, you mean little bastage!

That's how it was in MY day, and by golly, WE LIKED IT!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by Crazy_J I think I did about all those things except I never hitchedhiked or ate worms. I did eat eats when I was young though. When I was in the 5th grade I did get a playstation but I'm sure you had an Atari when you WERE young. In little league, we had tryouts, but luckily I was a first round draft pic

"PONG" was strictly for rainy day indoor activity...

Quote: Originally Posted by ZENNZZO "PONG" was strictly for rainy day indoor activity...

I remember back in 1980 (i was 10) my mom won 300$ from my hockey teams fundraiser. She thought she would be democratic and give us all one piece of paper to write on what we wanted and pull it out of a hat. That was the very last time she was ever that thoughtful as she pulled out mine and it had Atari 2600 written across it. Basically it's been all downhill from there...

However, I have to admit its not the kids fault if they sit there. I spend a lot of time with my two year old taking her swimming, with me and the dogs for a walk, had her in the bike trailer on the nice days in the summer, etc. As a parent nowadays it's our job to make sure they experience "outside" play...whereas 20 years ago it was just a given....times have changed and we have to adapt I guess

I wish I was born in the 40s...

Mostly so I could have been a teenager/young man in the 50s...

I would have driven a car with an engine block the size of rhode-fuggin' island! With two 4-barrel carbs, a blower, and tons of other gas-wasting mods... a '57 chevy (black, with flames).

I would have worn a leather coat, thumbed my nose at the law 'cause they were squares and smoked a coupla packs a day... listenin' to Elvis and the Beatles when they came out...

*sigh*

Oh well! I got to enjoy Atari, the birth of the home PC, color TV bein' cheap and available (I had a black and white set for years) and my 3000GT.

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