TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE



1940's, 50's, 60's , 70's and 80'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 tin, nuts, eggs and didn't get tested for diabetes and we didn't suffer allergies.



Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured 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, car seats or air bags.

Riding in the back of a van 'loose' or on the parcel shelf, was always great fun.

We drank water from the garden hosepipe 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 cakes, white bread and real butter and drank 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 OK.


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 text messaging, 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 played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.


Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.



We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Local teams 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

HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.




Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!


PS - The BIG type is because your eyes are shot at your age.

[Edited on 2-8-08 by mangogrooveworkshop]

How true, how true !!

Sitting here cursing the small print on a wiring diagram it was great to read your absolutely brilliant posting. Bet you wrote that when you got up for the second pee of the night.
Barry (1950's child) or old git.

Spot on

The joys of being called out at half five in the morning.........to fix internet outages

There's no mention of Rook scarers?

(I couldn't afford fireworks )



Paul G

RD (1953)

Things to do in the Autumn after dark -

Get an old National Dried Milk tin and knock a hole in each end. Fill with paraffin-soaked rags and light, Tuck under arm and run round being a spaceship / rocket / jet plane,

After potato harvest, find a left-over potato, build a bonfire and stick potato in to roast. Retrieve, peel off searing hot blackened skin ( oohya! oohya! ) and eat

Walk 3 miles along lonely country road to go to a dance

In the daytime-

Hug, pat, ride, torment any animal you meet

Trawl with jam jar for primitive life-forms in deep-water quarries

Jump from hayloft into piles of straw below, ignoring farm implements lurking there

Put quicklime into syrup tin, add water and close lid firmly. Place on ground and wait for the bang. When no bang after 30 seconds, investigate.

We were immortal

Way to go Mango!

Although...a mention of the 'respect' for our educators (teachers) ....who actually taught us and gave us an education ..... not just in the 3 'R's, but in life, is missing ..... and the fact that most of the stuff now taught at University, was obtainable at a higher degree of qualification (in the 'real' world) and understanding, at the local technical college!

Oh BTW my eyes aint that 'shot' !!!!!!!!

Fozzie

(2 x '50's kids here )

Age is really upon us when we reminisce about the good old days - not our fault they were good!

I'm that old I can remember the first asian kid coming to our school

woodster (1963)

We were the kiddies and still are

G 1961

Hitler was hiding in his bunker with Eva when i was born , i had a great time in the 50s searcing for plane debris in Kent .

Mike

Ah the good old days. Do you remember your parents saying that about their childhood.

1960

[Edited on 2/8/08 by Bigheppy]