Can't Believe We Made It!

[Sweeper]

Can't Believe We Made It!

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. T hey 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


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.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Does that mean that the next 50 years are going to suck?

Bill

[U-96]

You may find this story interesting too: Danger is good for you

[RedFury]

I agree with that 100%.
This generation is learning the me first mentality, the ability to become professional victims, and not responsible for anything-unless it benefits them directly and immediately.
No one is allowed to do anything that has a chance of injury...physically or otherwise.
Everyone wants to be treated equal, yet want to be better than everyone else.

The mindset is that everyone should have an equal shot. Well, guess what, it doesn't work that way. You have to make your life for yourself, no one else is responsible for it. Some people are in positions to get better opportunity. Guess what? Not everyone can be in that position. That's what I don't get about these "Euphorians" -as a local talk show host calls these people, they think that if they give everyone an equal shot at everything, that no one will have to suffer. Sorry, but not everyone has the ABILITY to succeed. There are so many factors that direct where we go in life. People we hang out around, our families financial situation, strength of family values, one or two parents around enough to be a positive influence on their children....the list is endless. There is no way that you are going to give everyone the best possible shot at life. Some of the most successful people had a rough time growing up, which gave them the motivation to make something out of themselves. Strife and hardship have their own rewards. People need to stop trying to make life "safer" and just live life to the fullest and stop cramming the Tums to calm the ulcers brought on by anxiety.

Many of today's problems stem from the litigious (that a word? ) nature of today's society.

Nobody wants to be sued for something. So, everybody makes sure they cover certain parts of their anatomies in order not to be sued. And that means not allowing others to take risks which might have bad outcomes (unless they sign iron-clad waivers ).

In the end, people will lose, I think, with this sort of mentality. Risk taking will become a rare event. Stock markets will become smooth and calm places. Even sport will be toned down for fear the contestants may hurt themselves (might be a new meaning for "handling with kid gloves") and will sue the sports promoters.

A supermarket we shop at used to hand fritz slices (a kind of deli meat here) to kids who were with their mums shopping. Due to someone slipping on a dropped bit of fritz, they can no longer do it. That's the kind of stuff that's becoming more and more common.

A quote from U-96's link:

"But there are risks doing everything, and if you aren't prepared to take any risks, you're just not going to be able to enjoy yourself."

I hope there is some enjoyment left in life for future generations.

Cheers
Mick

[Buzioid]

lol, i have to admit I am young and I do a lot of those things today...
no childproof lids on
medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode
our bikes, we had no helmets.
drank water from the garden hose and not from a
bottle
to mention a few...

[Cyclone2]

So much for "Survival of the fittest"

We are allowing way too many idiots to survive now, and guess what............ They will reproduce!!!!
lol



Thanks for that Sweeper, was good read

[cracked]

im a 1985-er, am i included in that? also yeah i agree with all of it. anyone ever shot worms out of your bb gun? great fun hehe...

drew

[Sweeper]

I remember building rockets and sticking grasshoppers in the little see through window as passengers. (man, that's been awhile) ... 3...2....1.... hit the little button and off they would go..... After chasing the parachute down.... we would find the little guys still alive and well.

[Jonty]

I remember wanting to know what was inside a battery, well you do when you're seven, so I cut one open, then I wondered what the black stuff would taste like... it was quite bitter as I recall

I really do think the 50's and 60's were a golden era.