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According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those
of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or
even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.
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 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 pickup truck on a warm day was
always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a
bottle. Horrors!
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because
we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one
bottle, and no one actually died from this.
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 play all day,
as long as we were back when the street lights came
on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell
phones. Unthinkable!
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no
video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video
tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones,
personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had
friends! We went outside and found them!
We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would
really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke
bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits 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 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.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home 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.
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,
not 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 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're one of them. Congratulations!
of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or
even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.
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 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 pickup truck on a warm day was
always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a
bottle. Horrors!
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because
we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one
bottle, and no one actually died from this.
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 play all day,
as long as we were back when the street lights came
on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell
phones. Unthinkable!
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no
video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video
tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones,
personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had
friends! We went outside and found them!
We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would
really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke
bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits 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 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.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home 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.
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,
not 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 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're one of them. Congratulations!
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