In case you haven't seen this........ain't it the truth?
TO THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 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. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then - after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles or safety latches on doors or cabinets; and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets - not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank tap water from the garden hose and NOT water with an exotic name from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and probably NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes & bread and butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING, not being couch potatoes or playing computer games!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. Nobody 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. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, video games, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell 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, and broke bones and teeth; and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
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 in us forever.
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!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, 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!
GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK!!
CJ
I was born in the late '70s. I agree: my generation is doomed...
Although - I have to say about the playing outside bit - is it safe for children to do that nowadays?
We have a proliferation of thugs, paedophiles, opportunists, drug dealers, drug takers, grumpy next door neighbours etc etc.
Unfortunately, some of these are a product of the "Baby Boomers" (going on the ages you see in the press of these people), so it can't have all been a bed of roses back then, can it?
Also, every generation, including the one's after mine, has to pay for the mistakes the previous one has made. Whether this is financial, ecological or even psycological we are all left things from our forebears that we have to overcome due to the ignorance (strong word I know, but our education system is also worse!) of certain matters that they lived their lives by.
Also, the "Baby Boomer" generation gave us:
The rapid spread of Aids due to the sexual relaxation of the 60's
The greenhouse effect, due to CFC's and increase in consumer consumption, including the rapid increase in car use.
Bush and Blair.
(My brain has gone to sleep, I can't think of anything else right now, but I'm sure others will have their tuppence worth....)
Alright, I admit you lot also gave us many positive things, but I'm just defending my times!!!