Those Born 1920-1979 (I recieve this in an e-mail and thought that it was great, I believe there are several bgp'rs that will be able to relate........---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED 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 were pregnant.

 

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

 

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs 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 infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, 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 Kool-aid made with sugar, 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, Nint endo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or 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 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. Imagine that!!

 

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

 

These generations have 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!

If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!

I fall slightly out of this age range, but I can still identify with some of them. It really does make me sad to think about how kids just don't go outside and play until dark anymore.

My babysitter was named Outside when I was little.

For all this nostalgia that people get warm and fuzzy about, it ignores the fact that during the time all this Norman Rockwell crap was going on, blacks and other ethnic minorities were being denied basic human rights, and Catholics and anyone else not a Protestant were treated with suspicion and derision.

 

But hey, if you're a WASP, great times. :thumb:

I fall slightly out of this age range, but I can still identify with some of them. It really does make me sad to think about how kids just don't go outside and play until dark anymore.

 

Agreed, technology is great, but it's likely going to be a major contributor to our future youth being extremely over weight.

No excuses, technology doesn't make people overweight, people make people overweight.

 

Great stuff oldrambler, and to think we all survived.

Born in the 50's , so yes I grew up with all of this..remember making snow cream...I can't imagine eating it now...:eek:

For all this nostalgia that people get warm and fuzzy about, it ignores the fact that during the time all this Norman Rockwell crap was going on, blacks and other ethnic minorities were being denied basic human rights, and Catholics and anyone else not a Protestant were treated with suspicion and derision.

 

But hey, if you're a WASP, great times. :thumb:

 

And the people born in the above time frame, are the people who have been trying to solve the aforementioned problems.

 

But hey, if you're a liberal, just keep complaining and let someone else solve the problems, then complain about the manor in which they solved it.

And the people born in the above time frame, are the people who have been trying to solve the aforementioned problems.

 

But hey, if you're a liberal, just keep complaining and let someone else solve the problems, then complain about the manor in which they solved it.

 

And if you are a conservative, just keep burying your head in the sand and ignore the problem or spend all of your time telling people that the problems don't exist.

 

Should we move this to the P/R forum?

Perhaps if the generations in the original post didn't you know...kill and molest children nowadays they could play outside. Unfortunately all that lead paint created creepy guys with Conversion Vans and bags of candy.

And if you are a conservative, just keep burying your head in the sand and ignore the problem or spend all of your time telling people that the problems don't exist.

 

Should we move this to the P/R forum?

 

What problem? As for the rest of your post, could you repeat it, my head was in the sand, probably a side effect of lead paint.

I saw three kids out in the street the other day jumping off a home-made bike jump. I stopped and watched for thirty minutes. Hadn't seen something like that in years. Streets were jammed with kids and their bike jumps when I was younger.

 

Jim, San Diego in the 70's the kids had a large group of white, black, Mexican, Filipino, and everybody got along just fine. Their parents all got together regularly and wore outrageous 70's clothing and grilled out together. Frankly, very few of us went to church. I couldn't have even told you what a Catholic or Protestant was when I was 12.

 

Video games consisted of the Arcade that was at the Round Table Pizza you went to after the Little League team played, every Saturday. My coach drank beer in the dugout, like Buttermaker on the Bad News Bears. Coors, and sometimes Old Style. My 5 year-old played soccer this season. We never went out with the team afterward. I asked three times if people wanted to go, but they were always too busy.

 

My son back-talked a teacher in the lunchroom a couple weeks ago. When I found out I blistered his hind-end. He apparently must have told his teacher, because I got a call from her "concerned" that I would spank my child over that. I thanked her for her time, and I guarantee my son won't be sassing her anytime soon.

 

When I was a kid mom kicked our butts out of the house right after breakfast and we stayed out all day until we were way past dinner time. Sometimes she would leave a lunch for us in the crook of the tree to come get if we wanted it. For me, that was from about age 6 and on. Now, I'll be honest, nowadays, I probably won't let my sons go unsupervised until they are at least 11 or 12. I am more scared of cars than child-molesters.

Times have really changed. I look back at my childhood and actually have memories. My brother, who is 17, I really worry about. What is he going to remember when he looks back. I had friends who I played with, he has cyber friends who he chats with.

 

Jim, as far as different races were concerned, that was not an issue when I was growing up. I thank God for that. I was taught early on that we are all God's children and we were all the same. PH was taught that as well. I really feel horrible for anyone who did not get to experience the happy times of growing up....including the children of nowadays.

 

Red Rambler, this horrible stuff has been going on forever. We just did not hear about it as much back then as we do today.

 

Hearsay, great post. My mom and dad did the same with me....I wanted to go outside so it really did not matter much. I would get into big trouble, however, if I was not in by the time the street lights came on. That was really funny because we did not have street lights LOL LOL! I lived out in the country in Washington State and had chores to do....those were even fun for me. I got to spend a lot of time out with the animals. My nic-name used to be Ellie May LOL LOL!

 

The big thing to get for Christmas was a brand new bike....now it is a video game. I played a lot of tether ball, volley ball, bad mitten, dodge ball, softball, etc....I tried to get my brother and foster children interrested in those games and be outside more...I was called a geek!

 

I love my memories and would not change anything!!!! Not even the good ole butt spanking!

Red Rambler, this horrible stuff has been going on forever. We just did not hear about it as much back then as we do today.

 

 

I agree with you on this. It's the 24-hour news cycle. Gloom and doom.

 

Sadly, I do think I had more fun and freedom than my children have.

And the people born in the above time frame, are the people who have been trying to solve the aforementioned problems.

 

But hey, if you're a liberal, just keep complaining and let someone else solve the problems, then complain about the manor in which they solved it.

 

How do you know I'm not actually doing something rather than simply ranting about it?