CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE...

[Daryl]

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS 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 drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, 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.

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, or Subway.

Even though all the shops closed at 5.30pm 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 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 ditches with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, 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.

We were given airguns and sling shots 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!

Footy had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

Our teachers used to belt us with big sticks and leather staps and bullies 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 got married before they had children and didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade'

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 government regulated our lives for our own good.

[Gunther]

Marvellous! Absolutely great! You wrote down what I've been thinking so often when I see my two teenage boys and their "needs" They sit indoors all day, in front of ther PC's - no matter rain or shine, summer or winter... One also shuts the curtains to get a better view on the monitor... They only come downstairs for their food... Propper conversation? Impossible , they know it all and we and our views of matters are anciend And the fact that we have 4 dogs makes us freaks Clothes? Only certain labels of corse ... no matter if we can afford it... "You spend it all on the dogs!" Free help in the household - even little things that we as youngsters always had to do? Impossible - only money counts! Need I say more?

The day they move out I'll open a bottle of champaigne

[suelipscomb]

Then you'll have enough money to get MORE DOGS!!!!! YIPPEEE!!

[Joe]

Gunther

Don't bother waiting for the kids to move out before opening the bottle of champagne, just open it and enjoy, it may never happen.
Make sure it's a good one.

Joe

[Gunther]

..., it may never happen.

Don't get me totally disillusioned