This is a common story of our childhood that was unfettered by a central socialist government.
The list neglects the practice of becoming blood brothers.
Actually I know someone who DID lose an eye.
Playing fort with real firecrackers.
Guess how many little boys did this in our community after he lost his eye.
Sometimes your job in life is to serve as a warning to others. We got warned real good.
It sure was. I know. I lived it.
(And no, it wasn’t in the 1930s...)
Somewhere along the line..it became, if not illegal then irresponsible for your kids to get out of your sight. And if they do something slightly risky, or even stupid like kids do, then it wasn’t kids being kids but your fault for not continously supervising them.
Powerful. Thank you.
You bet I’ll be passing this on!
While likely true in its conclusions, the saying, at least for me, is difficult to believe that Jay Leno ever said it.
If ever there was a more overpaid, pampered, pumped up semblance of a ‘comedian’ he is it. He hasn’t written his own jokes for years, I’d guess. Just a network puppet that the Execs decided was a good replacement for Johnny Carson.
Don’t believe it.
Built a tree house without a permit or an inspector
A big one you left out:
Either at school or at a friend’s house - if you messed up, the teacher, principal or your friend’s parent, kicked your butt for being a little jerk - THEN, they called your folks, which was worse because you knew another beat-down was coming.
These days, discipling someone else’s kid is simply unheard of - you don’t dare even look cross-eyed at someone else’s misbehaving brat, for fear of a lawsuit.
Great post - thanks.
Excellent post and excellent point though my wife does occasionally ask if I swallowed any lead paint chips...; )
How true.
Have you noticed that today’s parents of children are way overprotecting of their children?
A case in point. I was minding my business and sat down on a bench waiting for a bus. I walk with a kane because of my arthritis in my knees. I was trying to adjust my knees and feet and this young man who was carrying his son in a baby carrier said to me to put my foot down because it was touch his son. It not even touching the kid’s head. A young woman told me off in his defense, I simply walked away and said in their hearing range that they need to “mind their elders”. I was born in the 1950’s and the children back in the decades you mentioned were taught to “mind their elders”. I know I was. They were stunned silent.
Wow just Wow I remember back then riding in the back of my father’s pickup truck on the freeway. Staying out playing with other kids until the sun started to go down. I always had a knack of falling down but always got back up. I miss those fun times where politicians did not meddle in our lives. Now they enjoy being inside our butts for every dam thing and regulating it. Like in a past thread about Cell Phones, we didn’t have that yet we all survived. Now there is a phone glued to everyone’s ear. How I miss the past.
Right on! I love this thread.
We didn’t have little league — we organized our own sports competitions.
This line reminded me of an article I read earlier this week. It's a gem.
My kids and grandkids are grown now and I would never let them do that, the world has changed.
