Those were the days!

40yearfan · July 6th, 2005, 12:38 PM

Those were the days!

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

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 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!

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 YOU are one of them! 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, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

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

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 12:41 PM

I also survived lawn darts!!! Loved that game.

justAndy · July 6th, 2005, 12:58 PM

i survived illegal fireworks, dirt clod fights, bb gun fights, schoolyard fights, getting drunk at 15, a little bit of highschool sex (wish it could have been more).

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 01:02 PM

Ah yes, dirt clod fights. You grew up in Glendale? I also remember the severe penalties if a rock, instead of the clod, was thrown.

I always wondered why they banned lawn darts. We did much more damage with the croquet mallet hammer things.

phillycard · July 6th, 2005, 01:08 PM

What an awesome post 40! I'm gettin choked up man!

justAndy · July 6th, 2005, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli808

Ah yes, dirt clod fights. You grew up in Glendale? I also remember the severe penalties if a rock, instead of the clod, was thrown.

I always wondered why they banned lawn darts. We did much more damage with the croquet mallet hammer things.

Maryvale!

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andikrist

Maryvale!

Right on. 59th Ave and Bethany for me. Hung out at Maryvale Mall a lot. Old Roma Pizza!!!

Rook · July 6th, 2005, 01:28 PM

Dirt clod fights - good times, good times....

Ryanwb · July 6th, 2005, 01:30 PM

Orange fights was our neighborhood creed..... nothing like the smell of a rotten orange on a summer day

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rook

Dirt clod fights - good times, good times....

The beauty in a perfectly thrown clod that explodes and rains down dirt that completely covers someone's back. "Dirt clods that make men cry." Your next thread.

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryanwb

Orange fights was our neighborhood creed..... nothing like the smell of a rotten orange on a summer day

The really old ones or the still green ones were hard as rocks.

Rook · July 6th, 2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli808

The beauty in a perfectly thrown clod that explodes and rains down dirt that completely covers someone's back. "Dirt clods that make men cry." Your next thread.

No friend, for me it was seeing the dirt clod explode and knowing just how much grit and dirt was in their hair that did it for me.

Mulli · July 6th, 2005, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rook

No friend, for me it was seeing the dirt clod explode and knowing just how much grit and dirt was in their hair that did it for me.

That was excellent as well.

Linderbee · July 6th, 2005, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rook

No friend, for me it was seeing the dirt clod explode and knowing just how much grit and dirt was in their hair that did it for me.

He meant MY hair....

Rook · July 6th, 2005, 01:40 PM

You know what else they don't play anymore - Wall Ball, anyone remember that bruisefest? That was right up there with a dirt clod fight.