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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Running with Scissors... or, I Miss the Old America!!

My friend, Julie Haymaker Thompson posted this wonderful email she received. I know it is a wonderful look back on our childhood memories, but it also ends very poignantly where it speaks about the government regulating so much of our lives. It happens so incrementally, so slowly over time that it's hardly noticed until one day we awake to a society that looks nothing like it's former self, and we wonder to ourselves, "How did this happen?" When we allow "the powers that be" to increasingly intrude on our lives for our own good, we lose bits of ourselves along the way, and with it our individual liberties.
I miss the old America!!!


TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! who's parents 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-base 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 & 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 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 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 Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
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 these accidents.

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 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 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.

If 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 government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward 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 ?



20 comments:

Gail said...

Karen,
Great post! I agree with it all, except the Lawyer part since I'm married to one I have a little different attitude! He's a business lawyer and his interest is in preventing lawsuits for employers. It's a good thing.

Karen said...

I miss it too! I notice no one talks much on blogs about how things are going in our world, but I get very concerned. I just need to keep looking up, where my hope really is! Karen

peggy gatto said...

Memories keep us young and teach !
Thank you fro am a mom who used to tell her boys to be back home by dark!

sassytrash said...

Wow....that sure describes my whole childhood...and I cherish every memory!

Sea Witch said...

Ditto, a little common sense goes such a long way. There are pockets of "old America" all over the country. I was fortunate to be able to raise my sons in them. Sea Witch

Unknown said...

Loving reading the coments!!!

Terri Gordon said...

Wonderful post, I agree. It is really scary now. Thanks for such a great post, it makes you think.

Charlene said...

LOVE IT!!!!!! Yes, run with scissors, use your own brain & not have things mandated to you! Amazing how fast that lifestyle changed. Remeber we went out at halloween & our parents weren't afraid of our candy. In fact we ate homemade popcorn balls the neighbors passed out! WOW! I wish it were back like that. Thanks for sharing the memories. Also, THANK YOU for all your help with sizing my banner. You are such a doll!!!!!!!!!!!! ~Charlene

Unknown said...

Makes me so sad what people are willing to give up in the name of 'security', and I fear we are just beginning...*sigh*
But....I remember laying across the back of my grandma's car...in the back window, watching the stars at night. It was my favorite place to curl my little body....

I have a HUGE favor- I am coming to Tempe with my hubby for his work next week and dying to hit a decor/vintage/cool shop of some sort...any ideas? Please let me know if you have any! Thanks

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post, Karen! It's a scary time we live in.
I hope my kids have great memories...
lynn

Rita said...

Karen,
thank you so muchfor the great post. That was really food for thought.
rita

Gypsy Heart said...

Every time I read this it reminds me of how carefree and gentle the 50's were. Thanks for sharing it here! It's so sad to me that my grandchildren cannot experience that gentle way of life.

Teresa said...

Great post! It was good to grow up during "The Wonder Years"...

a Bohemian Market said...

Hi Karen:
Great post!!! I am a child of the 50's. My Mom is 100. My parents were strict yet I am happy. We learned to cook, can, bake, garden and sew and most hand arts/crafts. I am very grateful to have grown up in the 50's. I can say I was rather naive/innocent until my middle 20's : )
I really enjoyed this commentary. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
Regards
carole

Kdottie Designs said...

Ahhh, the good old days! Isn't it sad children can't play outside anymore and feel safe?

Sarah said...

I've received this e-mail several times, and even though I'm an 80's baby (haha), I played ALL the time, too! My dear Mom limited me and my dear brothers to tv/games daily. She taught us to use our imaginations and, shock-gasp!-she taught us that books are awesome!
thanks for sharing :)
((hugs & blessings))
Sarah @ ButterflyChic

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

This was great, Karen - thanks for sharing. We were gone for the entire day as kids in the summer. Who knows how many times we rode our bikes around the block. And it cracks me up now but my cousin and I used to actually get excited about making this thing to eat called "Shake a Puddin'" you'd have to shake it up and down in order for it to set... so we'd run around the block (and it was a huge block) at least twice so it would be ready faster. No wonder we slept so well at night! Hmmm... maybe I'll run through the house with scissors (except I'd trip over something for sure!).
Happy night ~ thanks for bringing back some good memories.
xo~Tracie

Unknown said...

Yup that's exactly how I was raised! Wish things could go back to the way they were (minus the smoking/drinking and no seat belts of course).

Sandy xoxo

prashant said...

Memories keep us young and teach !
Thank you Work from home India

prashant said...

I notice no one talks much on blogs about how things are going in our world, but I get very concerned.
Work from home India

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