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thedrifter
09-29-02, 07:20 AM
Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as wehave:

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 specialtreat.

Our baby cribs were painted with bright colored
lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib, ingesting
he 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 play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt.
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never over weight; 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 we
learned how to deal with it all.

Sempers,

Roger

JRtheSTAR
09-29-02, 07:45 AM
Excellent post Drifter.

USMC0311
10-06-02, 10:17 PM
"those WERE the days"

It certainly would be great if all generations could have a opportunity to taste the past.

But then, Y would the new generations want to give up their lackadaisical ways

firstsgtmike
10-07-02, 12:55 AM
I read the post, item by item. Each one brought back memories. Been there, done that. YES!

I would add an additional thought. The music, and the lyrics of OUR time, which expressed our feelings, better than we could have ever done ourselves.

A song shared by lovers, its significance imparted with a nod and a blink of the eyes, a shy smile, a momentary pressure to a held hand. "This is ours, this is us, remember?"

I pity the later generations, when a five alarm fire, with the shreiking sirens, the rumble of trucks, and the screams of panic and terror, causes him to look at her, and say "Listen dear, they're playing our song. Shall we dance?"

Barndog
10-07-02, 04:32 AM
3 Causative factors:

1. Over-protective, Yuppie Parents
2. Lawyers
3. Special Interest Groups and Politicians

I could go into this long, drawn out detailed explaination of how this works, but - it's really simple.

Money. As the classes in society grow farther apart, you will see this more and more.

I seen a kid the other day, on my way by the GRADE SCHOOL with a cell phone (while sitting at the light) talking.
The next thing I noticed was his Mother pulling up in her Ford Excursion ($50k SUV).
One could probally safely conjecture that Mom was too scared to let the child navigate the school ground on his own, and needed the added 'safety' of the cell phone to guide her in.

If you ask me, I think Mom needs some serious psychological help.

Oh, did I mention that there were probally upwards of 100 kids the same age as that boy, walking down the sidewalks in BOTH directions?

WITHOUT CELL PHONES?

Make yer own decision.

USMC0311
10-07-02, 06:00 AM
The generations have progressively been getting too much for too little. Reminds me of the Auto Unions. In the Beginning the Unification of the workers was necessary to achieve good pay for working conditions. Since the days of the Original "sit down strike" Men, The working conditions and pay have gotten better continuously and the workers have become less productive and more selfish every contract. Lazy, Selfish Americans.

The small Businessman is still the back-bone of America.