According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of
us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or even the
early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored 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 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 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 ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda
pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we
were always outside playing.
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, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no
video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies,
surround sound, personal cellphones, personal
computers, or Internet chat rooms. 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 punched each other and got black and blue
and learned to get over 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.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's 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 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 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're one of them! Congratulations.
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