Topic: TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

[BobbyR]

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, Nintendo'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 computer! s, 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!

[xtalon]

Excellent, but I believe you left one off:

We didn't have Attention Deficient Disorder, we had a good old fashioned butt whooping.   

--xTalon

[Bob Wessner]

When I think back to some of the things we did as kids, it is a wonder we survived.

[BobbyR]

When I think back to some of the things we did as kids, it is a wonder we survived.

That is the point Bob, we had to fend for ourselves. I am sure that skill came in handy more than once in your life.

[sparty]

When I think back to some of the things we did as kids, it is a wonder we survived.

No kidding.  I jumped off the roof of my house with an umbrella... I landed hard, rolled around, got up, and thought about doing it again.

Sparty

[Bob Wessner]

As kids, we tried our hand at making rockets. Aluminum tubes filled with match heads. (today that would be too much like a bomb and get you a stint in fed. prison  ). They were pretty effective. Then one day, one of the suckers fell over just after ignition. It flew along the ground setting what seemed like a zillion grass fires along the way. Let me tell ya, it kept three of us scampering all over the place stomping them out. That pretty much put an end to our rocketeering.

[sparty]

As kids, we tried our hand at making rockets. Aluminum tubes filled with match heads. (today that would be too much like a bomb and get you a stint in fed. prison  ). They were pretty effective. Then one day, one of the suckers fell over just after ignition. It flew along the ground setting what seemed like a zillion grass fires along the way. Let me tell ya, it kept three of us scampering all over the place stomping them out. That pretty much put an end to our rocketeering.

We use to shoot bottle rockets at each other.  Also, before there were paint-ball guns, we used BB guns - we always wore our motorcycle helmets and goggles for face protection.  My friend Tom still has a BB under his skin.  We also use to run into the local auto junk yard to piss off the owner and his mean dog.  the owner would release the dog on us and we would hop car to car to avoid being eaten.  One day, I slipped and fell.  I still have the teeth marks on my one arm from that dog.  I never told my parents.  Oh, Good Times!

Sparty

[eldar]

I rode a cycle like the one in spartys pic. ISnt that cheating death aready!

[sparty]

I rode a cycle like the one in spartys pic. ISnt that cheating death aready!

No they were safe, you didn't have that far to fall...

Sparty

[eldar]

Depends on how high in the air you were! or how steep the hill.........and if you hit a rock!

[Serenity]

and for a treat wed have fish and chips wrapped in newspaper....there were no fast food outlets...and 10 cents bought a big bag of hard sweets and aniseed wheels

[johnny-from-bel]

Yep, times are changing. I did all the above and much more but I am still a whimp when I hear what my father and his (6) brothers used to do. I allways wonder how he got to be old enough to marry my mother and have me.

He was on the street all the time.

[BobbyR]

Yep, times are changing. I did all the above and much more but I am still a whimp when I hear what my father and his (6) brothers used to do. I allways wonder how he got to be old enough to marry my mother and have me.

He was on the street all the time.

Only the strong or clever would survive and breed.

[johnny-from-bel]

Yep, times are changing. I did all the above and much more but I am still a whimp when I hear what my father and his (6) brothers used to do. I allways wonder how he got to be old enough to marry my mother and have me.

He was on the street all the time.

Only the strong or clever would survive and breed.

I forgot to mention, my father was a teenager in the 1940's. We are talking occupied Belgium.

[BobbyR]

Yep, times are changing. I did all the above and much more but I am still a whimp when I hear what my father and his (6) brothers used to do. I allways wonder how he got to be old enough to marry my mother and have me.

He was on the street all the time.

Only the strong or clever would survive and breed.

I forgot to mention, my father was a teenager in the 1940's. We are talking occupied Belgium.

Johnny, than you are the son of a very clever man.

[Snowdigger69]

Try rock salt in the butt raiding a strawberry patch... Run right home and tell your parents about that! Yeah Right... Let me tell you about Sting...

[masonryman]

With out the benefit of natural selection (due political correctness) the end of anything fun is just a matter of time