How Did We Survive?

GPGuy · May 19, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE

1920's, 30's 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, 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 Bakkie on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Steers, Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Chappies, Wilson 's Toffees, Wicks Bubble Gum and some crackers to blow up frogs with.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave 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. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and cubby houses and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on DSTV, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet 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 these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time.......no really!

We were given pellet guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays!!

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT AND NOT DUE TO BLACKMAIL, THREATS AND GUILT FROM THE PAST..... strange but true!

Our teachers used to belt us with big sticks and leather staps and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 70 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 are one of them!

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 our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore

chakis24 · May 19, 2010

haha, nice. i was born in the 80s, but i completely agree with this. my parents would literally lock me and my siblings outside with a pitcher of water and would say "dont come back unless theres blood or bones." haha.

RayGMC · May 19, 2010

The 80's were still the 70's in certain parts of the country. Still are for that matter

ajcain79 · May 19, 2010

I should be dead right now. Or at least seriously injured.

ffthornton · May 19, 2010

Heck I got in trouble because I never want to go inside when it got dark.

GPGuy · May 19, 2010

Heck I got in trouble because I never want to go inside when it got dark.

Me too!!! I do not remember spending time inside in the summer. I was always outside doing something. I guess that's why I still like to do things like camping and hiking.

Royal Vader · May 19, 2010

Yea, we're lucky to be alive!!

ffthornton · May 19, 2010

Me too, I hunt and fish, go camping, ride four-wheelers. Anything outdoors is ok with me. Heck cutting grass is therapeutic to me. And my two year old son is the same way. I hope it stays that way.

GPGuy · May 19, 2010

Me too, I hunt and fish, go camping, ride four-wheelers. Anything outdoors is ok with me. Heck cutting grass is therapeutic to me. And my two year old son is the same way. I hope it stays that way.

I think a lot of it has to do with the way you bring them up. Although maybe not always the case I think usually it does.

chevylobo · May 19, 2010

yeah dont forget about us guys born in the 80s lol

wolverine_22 · May 19, 2010

Me too, I hunt and fish, go camping, ride four-wheelers. Anything outdoors is ok with me. Heck cutting grass is therapeutic to me. And my two year old son is the same way. I hope it stays that way.

I think a lot of it has to do with the way you bring them up. Although maybe not always the case I think usually it does.

I'm only 22 but...i still had the streetlight rule...and no cellphones untill i was 17. Had to play outside all the time and go find my friends....but I was born in a town of less then 800...in Kansas

weymard · May 19, 2010

I was born in the 50's Wow you are right ! I am a very lucky man to stay alive, and I smoke

rmck490 · May 19, 2010

Thinking back at all the stupid stuff I did, I should be dead or crippled. But, it was fun. The whippings were well earned and deserving.

Had to work to buy my car at 16 and buy my own gas and insurance. Fixed the car myself to save money.

Paid my own way through college.

I've tried to pass the same ethics and morals to my children with about a 90% success rate but the generational influences eventually fill in the other 10%. Now that they are out on their own, I'm just their advisor/consultant. They have to learn by their mistakes and live with the consequences of their decisions.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making me what I am. They've been married 52 years this June. I've never been bitter about the way they raised me.

jro909 · May 19, 2010

most of those examples are the reason why your generation is plagued with cancer and my generation is going to be plagued with tumors from cell phones and death by obesity(yes my generation is filled with lazy bastards that would rather sit and play video games then go enjoy nature), i hate to say it but my generation is slowly heading towards devolution thanks to this great thing called social networking and texting thus leading to lack of knowledge of the english language and loss of social skills and or a life...maybe i was a crotchety old man in my past life but what the F^ck happened to talking to people face to face?