Sarah Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 To all those born before 1986 According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans. When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip-flops and fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same. We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this. We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded. We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms. We had friends - we went outside and found them. We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt! We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law suits. We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents. We played 'tok-tokkie' and were actually afraid of the owners catching us. We walked to friends' homes. We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of...they actually sided with the law. 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 if you're one of them. Congratulations! Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good. For those of you who aren't old enough, thought you might like to read about us. This my friends, is surprisingly frightening......and it might put a smile on your face: The majority of students in universities today were born in 1986........they are called youth. They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and the Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel. They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or Belinda Carlisle. For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam. AIDS has existed since they were born. CD's have existed since they were born. Michael Jackson has always been white. To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance. They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission Impossible are films from last year. They can never imagine life before computers. They'll never have pretended to be the A-Team, Red Hand Gang or the Famous Five. They can't believe a black and white television ever existed. And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile phone. Now let's check if we're getting old... 1. You understand what was written above and you smile. 2. You need to sleep more, usually until the afternoon, after a night out. 3. Your friends are getting married/already married. 4. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computers. 5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head. 6. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the Good old Days, repeating again all the funny things you have experienced together. 7. Having read this mail, you are thinking of forwarding it to some other friends because you think they will like it too... Yes, you're getting old!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules dief taz tor Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 im old and i dont give a shit lolololo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammie Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 i was born in 86 and a lot of that was also true for my childhood! Mad how its changed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 I'm getting old lol!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Im just on the borderline, 1986 for me too! I remember most of that uh oh Im getting old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 78 for me, omg that is so true, if i ever caught my kids doing half the stuff i did i would kill them, im amazed me and my mates are still alive! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austinville Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 64 for me.....survived all of those, obviously..... Though I can no longer remember most of it! LMAO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjk Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 i know im old, metally that is . the other day after my 18 year old son who spent his week off of work going out and coming back in all day untill 5 am!!! then sleeping all day and leaving his rubbish/clothes all over the place. i told him this "luke i hate you." he said "why?" i said you have turned me into my mum 100% now he said "why?" and i said "stop treating this place like a hotel, we aren't your servants, show some respect or move out" but its ok im happy with being old. and yes i remember the old days. being able to walk to school by myself at 5 years old. and the scariest thing someone could say was "i know your mum" and respect for anyone older than us. oh for the good old days LOL i think i will ring my mum and say sorry for when i was a teenager lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greilly1976 Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 i was born in 76 and can remember doing most of those things boy do i miss being young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkyries Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 oh hell ok im so old but i survived all that and the worst part is my kids are 31 an 32 yes im so old xx but i can still out do them in lots of ways not bad for an old woman lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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