TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED

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, tuna from a can, 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, white bread and real 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 ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. 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 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

i enjoyed your post christine . its so true !

And guess what.... We all turnned out just fine Well......... most of us anyways Sybil is the exception to that !!!

Amen to That. When my 29 year old got picked up by the local police at age 17 ,their I was 7 months pregnant with her brother. All the 10 other kids parents had went and pick them up at 3:00am. I told the police let her stay there maybe next time she will think a little bit clearier. I picked her up the next day at 10:00. she didn't talked to me for three days ,nor I to her Other than to take her car keys ,phone,T.V. away. To this a my daugther thanks me for not coming to get her out of jail. And making her realize the bad chooses she was making in life. And I also tell my mother thank you every chance I get for being there for me. P. S. I miss those old days when I was a kid some time, riding in back of Dads pick up ,bike with/out helmets,rollerskates with/out kneepads. Wanda Weimer

This is so so true. I often say things like that about food. The fda says everything causes cancer and this that and the other but we ate it our parents and grandparents ate it and everyone was fine. When I go to ballgame and cellphones are going off every 2 minutes and think what happened to the good ol days. Which of course I have mine too but I have learned to live it in the car alot of times just to have piece. Thanks for posting this it puts stuff in perspective. Becky