I SURVIVED

[Guest billwilly73]

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-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck 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, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

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 them 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 and X-boxes. There were no video games, 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 and no 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!

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 so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

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

'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

:DI got this in an email and thought I would pass it along:D

[et45]

+10,000

[Guest tnmale46]

amen brother

[Guest monsterking138]

i have seen this before but its ture

[Guest jackdog]

thank you that was a great post.

[jughead]

nothing bad about it it is or was the truth. if kids grew up that way now this world would be a better place

[Guest Bluemax]

Great post..brought back a lot of memories. I was born in 66, so I was one of the fortunate that grew up before the tech explosion. Couple of honorary metions to the above list. Drinking from a creek, getting up b4 daylight to go squirrel hunting with Pap Blowing up mailboxes on Halloween, spending untold hours building a model ship just to take it to the pond and shoot it with dad's 22. Actually saw my dad plow with a mule, and last but not least..late night trips to Smoky Mt Mrkt for hotdogs with mom and dad

[Cajun]

It is a great post, I am not sure I fit the mold as some of these things were invented after I was born, But it is still a very true post.

[nightrunner]

some of that is the lyrics to a country music song.

all before my time but i still remember some of that in my youth

[mcurrier]

someone invent a time machine already!

[Guest mikedwood]

I remember those days!

I can't believe I lived through it.

[Kegger]

Does it count if your were born in the 80's, and every word still applies?

Cuz then I'm in, lol.

[Rightwinger]

Guess I'm another survivor. True words.

[DarrellG]

Great post but I have to ask seeing your avatar.... 1. Do you have the t-shirt? 2. If so, does it have more or less of the magical power of the three wolf?

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

I was born in the 80's and remember those days well. All we ever had was the Nintendo that I played Monopoly with my grandma on right before bed. Not going to lie though, during my late teen years was the XBox and PS2 and I owned both. I guess I got both sides of the coin. But I only played these after I got finished working with my dad at his Sawmill.

[Guest PeaShooter]

Yes, and we all got together to play sand lot baseball at the field.

Team sports with real people in a real world environment,

real sweat, real pain, real fun with real group laughs!

[Guest BEARMAN]

Yep, all very true with how some of us "older" guy's and gal's grew up.

And a couple more...like, fishing in the river,or creek with a cane pole, and worms.

Hearing mom yelling your name as loud as she could...after dusky dark, when you hadn't shown up yet.

Using a "lively lad" to cut high grass, where the mower couldn't reach...before weedeater's were invented.

WOW! how I long for those days again....

On second thought...I'd rather use the weedeater...instead of a lively lad!

[Mike.357]

sounds like the good old days to me.

I'd be happy to go back to the sixty's tomorrow.

[Guest BEARMAN]

sounds like the good old days to me.

I'd be happy to go back to the sixty's tomorrow.

AMEN, MIKE!

[safeandsecure]

Yes, and we all got together to play sand lot baseball at the field.

Team sports with real people in a real world environment,

real sweat, real pain, real fun with real group laughs!

Sand lot ????????

We played "cow pasture" ball ... ... and had a lot of laughs when someone slid into a "base" or "home plate" when it WASN'T !!!!!!!!!

Those of you old enough to know that those "cow pie slide" stains never came out of your jeans, get yer walking cane and stand up and cheer for the good ol' days.

And yeah, Bearman, fishin' and huntin' and seining (sp?) for minnows or "knotty-heads" were great. Lively lads and "kid-powered" lawnmowers -- not so great.

[RobertY]

kick the can, hide and seek, king of the hill, cowboys and indians, marbles... (sigh)

[-boatman-]

Great post and so true!!!

[Sidinman]

kick the can, hide and seek, king of the hill, cowboys and indians, marbles... (sigh)

Went swimming in the lake & the creek. Played ARMY. Built forts and treehouses. Yeah, we survived. scrapes, scratches, scars, & broken bones.

[Luckyforward]

As one born in 1955, you have stated my reality. Thank you so much.

[Guest Ae-35]

As one born in 1955, you have stated my reality. Thank you so much.

Yep. same year. remember when you could get a " Moon pie an dope" for a dime? when you collected pop bottles for 2 cents each? Didn't wear shoes in the summer except to church on Sunday morning. Yep I remember. Dadburn I feel old.