Monday, November 16, 2009

We Did Survive!

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN 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 yelled for 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 HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And if YOU are one of us! 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, send your kids over so they will know how brave their parents were.

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


by Bonnie Calhoun

6 Comments:

  1. Mike said...
    yeaaa...keep up your great work..
    Diane Marie Shaw said...
    Oh Bonnie, this is so, so true. I sometimes wonder how we survived without all the regulations for our safety. For us childhood was carefree and fun. I have so many, many good memories even though I grew up in an alcoholic household.
    I was born in 1946.
    Diane
    Unknown said...
    It really is a wonder anyone reaches adulthood. Childproof locks on anything only stop the easily discouraged child...mine all got into, over, around and through them! Creativity isn't dead it's just finding other ways to express itself.

    Of course, we live in the midwest where you can still spank your children...although not enough parents do...and the natural consequences of sin is still the greatest teacher.

    Thanks for the reminder that adversity grows character.

    Have a great day.
    Bonnie S. Calhoun said...
    As things get worse and worse, I feel like my grandma used to feel back in the 70's...I long for the old days when things seemed to much simplier!


    Hey Lori *she waves furiously* how ya doin" girlfriend!
    Georgiana Daniels said...
    LOL!!! Too true. I kinda do feel the urge to run through the house with scissors....

    PS. Love the look of your blog!
    morkie said...
    Hey I was born in the 80's but I agree with this 100%. I was raised on a farm so I do not believe in all the new marketing ploys like germ free this, and anti-bacterial that. Water bottles and all that jazz. Remember lawn darts? I got those at a garage sale and loved them. Great post

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