| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| nancypo |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 12:34:54 PM
Author Unknown-
To all the kids who survived the 1930s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets, and, when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets, on 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.
Riding in the 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.
We shared one 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.
WHY?
Because we were 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 street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY!
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride 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 did not have Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, no surround-sound or CDs, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from those 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.
We ate worms, and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB 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.
We knew our fathers had guns, and we knew enough to leave them alone; not take them to school to show our friends.
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.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine 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.
And while you are at it, send 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?
Be the change...
http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| alterationsbyemily |
Posted - Aug 01 2011 : 08:51:00 AM
I love it! I was born past this time, but I often wish that I would have been around for all those years.
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Farmgirl #2951
Currently renting-farmgirl wannabe |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 01 2011 : 06:32:08 AM
I keep reading this a few times...makes me giggle. Seriously, kids now live in such a "virtual" world!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| knittinchick |
Posted - Aug 01 2011 : 12:01:42 AM
Nancy, I definitely relate to the whole not needing things to play. I had toys, but I being an only child, I was always playing by myself. I would play "mom" with my baby dolls, and I was always playing with a doll house or playing something where I was in sometime in history. I remember one time when I was in 5th grade I went to a folk fair and saw a Revolutionary War reenactment. The next day, I decided my backyard would be a Revolutionary War army base. All I had was sticks, a ladder, and a bucket, and I remember having a grand ole time by myself! I also drew a lot, and would always draw pictures to make into picture books!
Belle, my grandma lived on a farm, and I sometimes I wish that I could've grown up on a farm.
God's and Farmgirl's Blessings,
Megan
At heart, I am both a sassy city girl and a down-home country gal.
The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. |
| Turtlemoon |
Posted - Jul 31 2011 : 4:05:11 PM
so true!!!
Raggedy Ann stuck in a Barbie Doll World
FarmGirl#1737
http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonhonu |
| Bellepepper |
Posted - Jul 31 2011 : 12:56:03 PM
Loved the list!! I can add a few. Since we lived in the country, we didn't have sidewalks so we didn't have skates. When I was 14, I was the janitor at our one room school. I earned $5 a month. I worked for 3 months to earn enough to buy Shoeskates. Going in town to the skating rink was few and far between. But it paid off, That is where I met Ole Ron in 1955. I never babysat nor was I a carhop (like the town girls) From the time I was 12, I drove the tractor and truck and helped Daddy in the hayfield. And yes, it got up to 110 every summer, just like this summer. The young men (no girls) are out bailing our hay right now. Their tractor's have air conditioned cabs and they are doing the big round bales. Last week we did the little bales and I drove the truck while #2 son loaded the bales, the old way, one at a time with a hay hook. We were out there at 6 a.m.
But back to the olden days. We used to take a blanket outside and sleep on the ground when it was too hot in the house. We didn't get to run through the sprinklers. No sprinklers. The well water was to precious to "play in". To cool off, we went to the pond. It was only muddy around the edge. LOL #2 son lives at Daddy's old place. He built a really neat dock down at the pond so we can get in and out without having to get in the mud.
Belle |
| FarmDream |
Posted - Jul 30 2011 : 6:39:44 PM
And don't forget playing with lawn darts. Or the wood burning kits with the cord so short it had to sit next to the curtains. I really miss those days. I used to pack a lunch and go ride my bike all day. If I could have a job now, that's what my job would be. I felt so free.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
| StrawHouseRanch |
Posted - Jul 30 2011 : 08:28:29 AM
Great list. Very true. We used our imaginations, muscles, got dirty, and TV was not allowed during the summer because it heated up the house!! I got the same response from my mother too, Joey, whenever I said I was bored...I got put to work cleaning something.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
A Beehive is the ultimate Home Sweet Home
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| Marcy |
Posted - Jul 30 2011 : 08:20:01 AM
Perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Farmgirl #170
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give...Eleanor Roosevelt
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| annielaurel |
Posted - Jul 30 2011 : 05:04:38 AM
Good for your parents Megan. You are a lucky girl.
One thing I remember about growing up is that we never needed a lot of "things" when we played. We did a lot of making up when we played. We played Cowboys and Indians without horses or costumes and soldiers without the equipment. We ran around, hid, climbed and jumped. We skated with those old skates with the keys and I never whined or complained that I wanted shoe skates. In fact, I laughed at how they would come off and I had to use my key to tighten them again.
My favorite thing was in the summer when we could have our lemonade stand on our front lawn and our mother would help us make the lemonade. My brother and I would sell the leomonade for 3 cents a cup. Nobody was worried in those days about germs or a license.
When it got too hot we would run through the sprinklers.
We couldn't afford the doctor all the time so mom knew what to do if we got stung by a bee or scraped our knee. The big thing to worry about when I was young was Polio. We had to be aware of stray dogs also. Rabies in dogs was not uncommon so we were taught not to pet any dog without first asking the owner if their dog would bite.
Life was good and still is. |
| knittinchick |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 10:23:06 PM
Nancy, I wish I grew up during this time! I'm 15 now, and my parents have sort of raised me in the "old-fashioned way". I have never been handed anything, and I've definitely learned the value of hard work. I wish the situation described was the norm and not perceived as "bad parenting". I don't think I'd be the person I am today if my parents hadn't raised me the way they did.
God's and Farmgirl's Blessings,
Megan
At heart, I am both a sassy city girl and a down-home country gal.
The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. |
| Joey |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 10:11:06 PM
Hey Jen, whenever we told my grandmother that we were bored or had "nothing to do" she gave us a toothbrush and a bucket of soapy water and made us "scrub the kitch floor." We weren't bored often. Still makes me laugh. Joey
Well behaved women rarely make history. |
| nancypo |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 9:55:30 PM
Ah, the memories!
Be the change...
http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ |
| Okie Farm Girl |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 9:13:39 PM
I just had a memory and had to laugh. I was in the fourth grade and got to go see Mary Poppins when it first came out. I went with my mom, my aunt, my cousins and my sisters. I remember thinking it was so awesome because we got to see it new IN a theater rather than after it had been on for awhile and showing at the drive-in. Anyway, I went home totally in love with Mary Poppins and the next day, I climbed up on the balcony railing with an umbrella, just sure that I would float to the ground like in the movie. My dad saw me in time!! We lived in Maryland and had awesome snows and so all the kids would get together and build forts. Some were pioneers and others were Indians and we'd trudge over the snow toward the fort, eating loaves of bread made out of snow and have a snowball fight from our forts. We were creative if nothing else!! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
| BalancingAct |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 9:00:42 PM
This is great! And very true!
Farmgirl Sister #2851 -"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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| Bear5 |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 8:55:17 PM
I loved reading the postings. Loved it! Thanks. I can remember helping deliver newspapers with my Dad on Sundays. I got $2.00. Wow.... those were the days. And---I worked my butt off!!!!!!! I cherish all those memories, and I feel sad for a lot of todays children who will never know or understand. Diane: I, too, was a single and very poor mother in the beginning. I would never want to go back and change anything. I rolled up my sleeves and did what I had to do. We made it. Those days helped me to become who I am today. I thank God for all of it.
Thanks again for the post. I'll check back to see what others have to share.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| Fiddlehead Farm |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 8:18:34 PM
I agree 100%! This country has become obsessed with law suits and material things and sitting in front of various electronics. I just got back from the local 4H fair and was appalled at all the young children that were overweight. We were never overweight as children. We were too busy playing outside and did not have all the junk food. I remember Mom having to try and find us for supper. She finally found an old school bell and used it to call us home. We also had to earn our own money by mowing lawns or raking and babysitting. I saved enough money from babysitting to buy my first car at 16! I think a lot of parents are trying so hard to buy their childrens love. It does not do anyone any justice at all. I was quite a poor single mother, but my kids are richer because of it.
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
I ask not for a larger garden, but for finer seeds.
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White |
| Okie Farm Girl |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 6:59:26 PM
Absolutely love it, Nancy!!! That was sooooo my life!!! I especially like the part about leaving home for the day and nobody knew where you were. We'd play in the creek, pretend we were pioneers or get up a game of 'kick the can' and stay out even PAST the street lights! :-) Just love it.
It's funny. I was just saying to my daughter today (she's expecting our first grandbaby) that medicine has gotten too complicated. We didn't know what sex our babies were and we had enough to worry about without having to go to an ultrasound every two weeks because something doesn't jive with "the norm". I'm amazed at all of the ultrasounds she has had. Not good. And our healthcare system - doctors are so afraid of getting sued that they'll send you to have heart surgery if you complain of an aching chest!! It's getting out of hand. I long for the days of personal responsibility.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
| nancypo |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 3:56:04 PM
And we were so active! I rode bikes, skated, skateboarded, swam ran, climbed trees...
Be the change...
http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ |
| annielaurel |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 3:46:40 PM
I love the list. So true, so true!! If my brother and I wanted money we had to figure out how to get it. We took our wagon and collected pop bottles that we turned in for a penny or nickel. Once my brother collected shoes to shines for a charge.
If we got in trouble in school, we were in trouble at home. None of this having our partents go to the school and get us off.
We did our own homework and took the consequences if we "forgot" to do it.
Yes, times were different then. We grew up knowing that we needed to be self-sufficient and responsible because nobody was going to give you a handout.
Those were the days. So much invention and creative thought from these people.
~Nancy
Live every day to the fullest |
| prariehawk |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 3:08:48 PM
I might add that we made "computers" out of cardboard boxes and added lots of gears and gadgets to the box for effect. Then my brother would get inside the box and we asked the "computer" questions. The "answer" would be written on a slip of paper from the "computer"! Imagine that! And my brother went on to major in computer science and now has a six figure income. he also did "Evel Knieval" jumps on his stingray. and yes, he sometimes crashed and would bleed. We played cowboys and Indians and even crawled through culverts when there was no water in them. when a high school boy was killed in a tragic accident, instead of suing, his parents set up a scholarship in his honor. We played baseball in a cow pasture--and guess what the bases were! Yep, those were the days.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
| vmfein |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 2:28:46 PM
most of this applies to me and I was born in the early 80's. but it is interesting to see how things have changed.
Farmgirl Sister #2619
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vmfein |
| nancypo |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 12:54:04 PM
Yes, we're survivors!
Be the change...
http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ |
| oldbittyhen |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 12:51:47 PM
A country singer named "Bucky Covington" sings a song with most all of these statements in it, and I sure grew up during this era, and I'm still here, as well as my kids...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
| nancypo |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 12:51:07 PM
You're welcome. And I rode a skateboard, with hard ceramic wheels, with no helmet, etc!!!!
Be the change...
http://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/ |
| Dusky Beauty |
Posted - Jul 29 2011 : 12:48:51 PM
Fantastic. Thanks for the reinforcement that my "old fashioned parenting" will not result in the detriment of my children (even if they do say they have *nothing* to do when I tell them 2 hours of TV is MORE than enough and that they are cut off.)
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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