How'd we do that?

[southerngale]

This is the way it really was.


Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have.

As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in
the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

Our baby cribs were painted with bright colored lead based paint. We often
chewed on the crib, ingesting the paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when
we rode our bikes we had no helmets.

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

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 streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

We played dodgeball and sometimes the ball would really hurt.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never
over weight; we were always outside playing.

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 or didn't work hard so they failed
a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

That generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem
solvers. We had the freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned how to deal with it all.



How'd we DO that?

[mf_dolphin]

We also learned to use our brains! That's something that comes from making mistakes and living through them!

[coriolis]

Southerngale, that was great. Well Said!

[CajunMama]

Our parents also told us NO! We didn't get everything we asked for.

[azsnowman]

Ya know.....it's a thousand wonders I wasn't disabled from the kind of stuff I use to pull, let alone serving a *life sentence*, I just never got caught! I shudder at the thought of the stunts I use to pull! Thanks for the memories!

Dennis

[Amanzi]

I sometimes wish my son could have those same memories and freedoms.

We also used to run around the neighbourhood untill nightfall. Never did it cross my mind that something bad could happen. Our greatest thing was to build forts in the sugar cane fields and ambush the neighbourhood boys as they came past on there bikes. The girls sent many a boy home with a sand clod bruise on his chest!

[hurricanedude]

I think we need to go back to the old days, all this modern age mess isnt adding years to our life, just less money n our pockets...we arent going till its our time, whether we ride in the back of a pick up or not, true?

MIKE