To Those of Us
Born
Born
1925 -
1970
1970
At the end of
this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything
else, please
this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything
else, please
read what he
said.
said.
Very well
stated, Mr. Leno.
stated, Mr. Leno.
~~~~~~~~~
TO ALL THE KIDS
WHO SURVIVED THE
WHO SURVIVED THE
1930s, '40s,
'50s, '60s and '70s!!
'50s, '60s and '70s!!
First, we
survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or
drank
survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or
drank
while they were
pregnant.
pregnant.
They took
aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for
diabetes.
aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for
diabetes.
Then, after that
trauma, we were
trauma, we were
put to sleep on
our tummies
our tummies
in baby cribs
covered
covered
with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no
childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or
cabinets,
childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or
cabinets,
and, when we
rode our bikes,
rode our bikes,
we had baseball
caps,
caps,
not helmets, on
our heads.
our heads.
As infants and
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..
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.
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.
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.
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.
white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white
sugar. And we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we
walked to school and had recesses twice a day
walked to school and had recesses twice a day
or we were
always outside playing...that's why!
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.
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.
to reach us all day.
--And, we were
OKAY.
OKAY.
We would spend
hours building
hours building
our go-carts out
of scraps
of scraps
and then ride
them down the hill,
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 forgot the brakes.. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned
to solve the problem..
We did not have
Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were
Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were
no video games,
no 150 channels on cable,
no 150 channels on cable,
no video movies
or DVDs,
or DVDs,
no
surround-sound or CDs,
surround-sound or CDs,
no cell
phones,
phones,
no personal
computers,
computers,
no Internet and
no chat rooms.
no chat rooms.
WE HAD
FRIENDS
FRIENDS
and we went
outside and found them!
outside and found them!
We fell out of
trees, got cut,
trees, got cut,
broke bones and
teeth,
teeth,
and there were
no lawsuits
no lawsuits
from those
accidents.
accidents.
We would get
spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare
hand, and no one would call child services to report abuse.
spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare
hand, and no one would call child services to report abuse.
We ate worms,
and mud pies
made from dirt,
and
and
the worms did
not live in us forever.
not live in us forever.
We were given BB
guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls,
and
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.
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.
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
had tryouts
and not everyone
made the team.
made the team.
Those who didn't
had to learn
had to learn
to deal with
disappointment.
disappointment.
Imagine
that!!
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 to 85 years have seen 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 those born
between
1925-1970, 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 ?
~~~~~~~
The quote
of the month
by
Jay
Leno: "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?"
For those
that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the
rest of us.....pass this on. |
