Tuesday, February 28, 2006

rememberances...


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.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured 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 hitchhiking to town as a young kid!)
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors.
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.
No cell phones. Unthinkable.
We got cut and broke bones and broke teeth, and there were no law suits
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 ate scones, bread and butter, and drank fizzy drinks but we were
never overweight... we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one died
from this.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, video games at all,
99 channels on cable, DVDs, movies, surround sound, personal cell
Phones, Personal Computers, Internet chat rooms . we had friends.
We went outside and found them.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or
rung the bell or just walked in and talked to them.
Imagine such a thing.
Without asking a parent!
By ourselves!
Out there in the cold cruel world!
Without a guardian.
How did we do 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.
School rugby 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.
No one to hide behind.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of.
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 has 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're one of them.
Congratulations!


I was sent this by email I have no idea who wrote it but it got me thinking how did we survive with all the rules and regulations (not a bad thing – well some of them lets say) nowadays I am surprised we got through all those years without the technology, gadgets and advice that is thrust upon us now.
When I was younger my Parents would tell me how lucky I was as in there day`……. I use to think that my Parents were so old fashioned and out of touch but now when I talk to my nieces and nephews I sometimes catch myself saying the same thing to them telling them how lucky they are to have mobiles phones, TV’s in their rooms and all the gadgets and gismos they cant live without because when I was there age…….. I am sure you have heard yourself say the same thing. Frightening to think that as we get older we come more like our parents/grandparents everyday!

Well I am off to make a mug of Ovaltine so ciao for now
Lisa xx

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Aye, them were t' days