I thought everyone would like this little diddy! John >If you lived as a child in the 40's, 50's, 60's or >70's. > > > > >Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived >as long as we have... > > > > > >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. > > > > >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 hitchhiking to town as a young kid!) > > > > >We drank water from the garden hose and not from a >bottle. Horrors. > > > > >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 t! he 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 streetlights came on. No one was able to >reach us all day. No cell >phones. Unthinkable. > >We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would >really hurt. We got cut and >broke bones and broke teeth, and there were no law >suits 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 ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar >soda but we were never overweight...we >were always outside playing. We shared one grape soda >with four friends, from >one bottle and no one died from this. > > > > >We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, >video games at all, 99 channelson cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal >cell phones,Personal Computers, >Internet chat rooms ... we had friends. We went >outside and found them. We rode >bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked >on the door, or rung the bell or just walked in and >talked to them. > > > > >Imagine such a thing. Without asking a parent! > >By ourselves! Out there in the cold cruel world! > >Without a guardian. How did we do 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. > > > > >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. >No one to hide behind. >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 has 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! > > > > >Pass this on, if you want to, to others who have had >the luck to >grow up as kids, before >lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our >own good. > >