According to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s 70’s ,
probably shouldn’t have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint.
We had no childproof lids or locks on medicine bottles, doors
or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
Not to mention the risks we took if we hitchhiked…..
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.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors!
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, Nineteno 64 or 128, X-Boxes,
no video games at all (Okay, those who were still kids in the late 70’s
had ATARI and Pong), no 99 channels or more on cable,
video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones,
person computers, or Internet chat rooms,
we had THE OUTDOORS & BOOKS!
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 pounded each other
and got black and blue and learned to get over it.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls
and although we were told it would happen,
we did not put out any eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friends 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 parents bailing us out if we got in trouble in school
or broke a law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the school or law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-taker,
problem solvers, and inventors, ever.
We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility ----
And we learned how to deal with it.
And you’re one of them!
Congratulations.
(Contributed by Ken Hovater)
