How did we survive?

[skybytch 273]

Got this in my email today. This one is not for you younger folks...
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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 painted with bright colored lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib, ingesting the paint.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. 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 playall day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. We played dodgeball and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never overweight; we were always outside playing. 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.

That generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem solvers. We had the freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and SOMEHOW we learned how to deal with it all.

[jfields 0]

That is so un-PC.

[Slappie 9]

If that's not an eye opener! I was part of that generation

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Dumpster 0]

We survived, all of us-- Except that a few, the ones who didn't make the team, couldn't fight thier own battles, the ones who ran away and ratted everyone out for smoking, etc- grew up and decided to make the world " a better place"
I think they call themselves "liberals" or something-

Easy Does It

[jfields 0]

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I think they call themselves "liberals" or something

Nah. Being liberal or not has nothing to do with it. There are plenty of liberals with character, and plenty of conservatives without.

[mouth 0]

It amazes me any of us survived to turn out as well as we did. I remember that we never locked our doors growing up but now I lock it when I come in. Things have changed.

Lisa

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

[flyhi 24]

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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.

Didn't forget 'em, but they sure didn't work. And I have the scars to prove it. Truly a simpler time.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[homer 0]

ah yes I grew up in generation X now it's generation couch potato

CSA #699 Muff #3804

[wmw999 2,560]

Thanks. I needed that. There seem to be a couple of types of people -- those who want to deal with the world the way it is, and those who want to make it into something they can deal with. And there are liberals and conservatives of both flavors, and both of them give their stance a bad name.
Wendy W. (Been there, done that, got the bruises)

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[dunesurfer 0]

I feel lucky to have survived that hell
I like to think that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger

[Deuce 1]

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We would leave home in the morning and playall day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

I REALLY remember that. I bet just as many kids got kidnapped and abused then, just didn't get hyped in the papers. We would wander miles and miles from home and get back when we got hungry or it started getting dark. I can remember a bunch of times even having lunch from some strange Mom with some new kid I'd just met and never played with again. I wouldn't be comfortable having a kid in my house whose parents I didn't know.

I miss sitting on the tailgate of the station wagon, with the back window rolled down, holding onto the back of the roof-rack on the freeway.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Yup, I did pretty much all of that (and more) ... my have things changed.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[megscott73 0]

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It amazes me any of us survived to turn out as well as we did. I remember that we never locked our doors growing up but now I lock it when I come in. Things have changed.

Lisa

Yep, I never saw a key for my house when I was a kid. I probably assumed the doors didn't have locks. We didn't lock our cars either.

=======================
"What I want is what I've not got ,but what I need is all around me"-DMB
Meghan

[nws01 0]

I had to walk five miles to school when I was young through thick, thick snow and it was uphill both ways.

[happythoughts 0]

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I had to walk five miles to school when I was young through thick, thick snow and it was uphill both ways.

I just don't remember it very well. I was born at a very young age.

[jfields 0]

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I had to walk five miles to school when I was young through thick, thick snow and it was uphill both ways.

Only 5 miles? Did you have shoes too, rich boy?

[megscott73 0]

LOL
I actually DID have to walk to school. Ok, it was only a half a mile, no hills, and in the snow only a few times.

=======================
"What I want is what I've not got ,but what I need is all around me"-DMB
Meghan

[kinney29 0]

I know I'm only 24, but every single one of those things was what it was like when I was younger.

Now everyone gets a freaking trophy. The militaries Little League program (Up to age 12) for dependents does not keep score of the games. This is crap.
I lost a lot growing up. We went 0-8 in football.
I got the crap beat out of me sometimes in wrestling.
I had a paper route at 5 a.m. every morning that I did entirely by myself when I was 11.
I didn't play nintendo on my ass all day. I played sports outside.
I broke my collar bone taking a dare to ride my bike down a steep hill.
I could side and roof a house by the age of 15.
I joined the army
And by god I jump out of airplanes.

Kids these days are gonna turn out to be a bunch fru fru coffee drinking, vegitarian, bubleboy wanna be's, who go to the doctor everytime they get a cold.
God help this country in 20 years.

It's been a rough couple of days. I'm just venting.

ADAPT OR DIE

[Dumpster 0]

Yeah - you're right - They're not all liberals- If I take a good look at my beleifs, etc- I've got a good mix of liberal and conservative both in me---

We learned from our mistakes because we were allowed to make mistakes - weather they hurt us or not - (and damn near killed us at times!) What didn't kill us made us stronger - Friendship meant everything - we learned how to forgive after kicking the crap out of each other - MAn, what a simpler time!
Now I'm afraid my kids won't live through the same mistakes I made!

Easy Does It

[christoofar 0]

I grew up in the sticks... it's probably still like this now.

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[AggieDave 6]

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Kids these days are gonna turn out to be a bunch fru fru coffee drinking, vegitarian, bubleboy wanna be's, who go to the doctor everytime they get a cold.
God help this country in 20 years.

You know, I'm 22, sort of between the two generations discribed and I don't think that I've grown up a "softy."

I've played all kinds of sports, although I still was a computer geek. Many times came back muddy as all get out and bleeding due to some very rough empty lot full tackle football, smiling and happy. I'm very handy with tools, basically rebuilding my first car, making stuff out of wood (made a cabinet for my dad for Christmas last year) and I too have roofed more then a few houses.

Afternoons found me outside raising hell or sometimes inside on the computer.

Personally, I think I had the best of both worlds.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Deuce 1]

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I had to walk five miles to school when I was young through thick, thick snow and it was uphill both ways.

Shut-up you little monkey bastard Don't make me stop this car and come back there!

[antimike 0]

Don't forget, If we got caught doing something are Parents could beat the hell out of us without being afraid of getting charged with child abuse. Don't get me wrong I don't think Children should be abused. But I remember thinking before I did something stupid. If I get caught my DAD's going to kill me. I didn't always get caught

[freeflir29 0]

Speaking of the old days....This guy that lives down the street from me stopped one day. He saw the Skydive Atlanta sticker on my Jeep. He said he had about 700 jumps but didn't get out too often. Well, he showed up for the boogie. With a Wonderhog, Star-Trac 290 main, and reportedly some kind of round reserve. Man...that reminds me of when skydiving was dangerous.... He said.."I'm old time skydiver. I say if you want to go fast close to the ground.....pull lower." It was definately worth a giggle.

[JohnJug 0]

I just remembered a pertinent quote for this, can't remember who said it but it went something like:

"The reasonable man changes himself to fit the world, the unreasonable man changes the world to fit himself, therefore all progress comes from unreasonable men."


Something to remember next time someone tells you to be more reasonable.

You come from nothing. You go back to nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!