[catonsville]

I love Wesley Pruden, the successor to Menken. This was part of his column today.

We have become a society that no longer lets kids be kids. We are robbing them of a childhood

[JeanLM]

I agree with most of this thread's comments,but not all. Helmets for motorcycles and bikes are a good thing. Seat belts and airbags in cars are also, but as a new grandfather I do feel sorry for my grandchildren because they won't have the exposure to life that I had from an early age; and what I tried to give my kids.

I mark the change to the point pundits started talking about parenting. We didn't have a name for what parents did. They /we just did it. It was a mixture of common sense, folk lore, family traditions and what was practical...what you could afford. Sure some kids got hurt and felt abused, but that was part of life. Is a part of life.

I read in my local paper that the local authorities are on a crusade to eliminate all "fort building" in the woods and along the streams. Seems these are places kids hang out and maybe get into trouble, although no examples were given. Plus they don't conform to any building codes known. I couldn't imagine as a kid not being able to sneak off into the woods with hammer and nails and whatever wood you could scrounge and have somebody tear what you built down.

We have made childhood as safe as the most concerned parent can accept. Another case of the least common denominator controlling what gets allowed.

[Conservative4Ever]

I survived a childhood in the 50's. A golden time for childhood. Played out late on summer nights, flashlight hide and seek, sleep overs at girlfriends homes. Roller skating for miles from home and back. Bicycling that would take you into the next county. Sandlot baseball.

not a 'play date' in sight. Those were the golden days.

Red

[oldironsides]

This email made the rounds last year. His name was not on it

[6ppc]

Riding my bike down a steep driveway I had to get the turn just right to stay on the left side of the road because of the blind curve to the right...that way if someone was coming around the curve I'd be riding parallel to them instead of under their wheels! And no one wore a helmet.

[Hildy]

I don't have kids, but I just ended a visit with my cousins who brought along their 15 year old daughter. All I have to say is that if I had kids, I'd be in jail. No doubt about it. That girl needed a serious ass-whooping, and nobody had the guts to do it. I'm not kidding when I say that I pray for this girl and I pray for her parents.

[Nowhere Man]

I was born in 1966, grew up in the 1970's and 1980's. We did a lot of that stuff and more, heck, I remember going over the handlebars on my Sear's "Spyder" bike and later 10-Speed and I haven't suffered for it. ;) I live near a Nike Site that was decommissioned in 1974 (I think we need them back with the War on Terrorism but that's another time) and we did our fair share of freelance spelunking. B-) We played war, pretended to be the "Six Million Dollar Man," and so on. I wouldn't trade it for the world, good article.

[MadelineZapeezda]

I once xrayed a fellow who was having sinus problems.
Found out he had some 30 year old 'tiddly winks' in his sinus cavities! LOL........surgery went well.

[LibKill]

BB Guns. 1.

Pellet Guns. 2.

Real Firearms. 5 (before my 18th birthday). Three of them were handguns.

Fireworks. Not measured but must have exceeded my bodyweight by factor of 3.

Flammable liquids. Let us not go there.

Motorcycles, 2 before age 21.

Statistically, I have been dead for more than 20 years.

[F16Fighter]

"...drinking from the bottle, and no one died. "We gorged on cakes, pies, candy, bread and butter, and anything we could find with lots of sugar in and on it, and we were never overweight because we were always running through the 'hood."

No, we didn't die immediately. -- it takes at least 30 years for the cancer, tumors, liver failure, and arteries to harden till we begin dropping dead.

[lainde]

Nostaglic column...I miss those times!

[Joe_October]

Bump.