Ageing - 2 : For the Proud Old things among us

I was born in 1966. So, I qualify to be called OLD already. So, as a true member of the club, I root strongly for my tribe. The old things. A wonderful email that has been circulating for the last six months is worth sharing in Musings now ...

All kids born in 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s

First, we survived being born to mothers who had no full time maids/cooked food/cleaned the house while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate cheese , sweet dishes and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a local bus/train was a special treat.

We would spend hours on the terrace under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV effect which never ever effect us.

We drank water from the tap 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 pastries, 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 reparing our out dated bicycle and scooter out of scraps and then ride 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, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell 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.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were never given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,

we 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 yelled for them!

Cricket 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!

This generation has 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!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

PS -The big type is because, at your age, your eyes need it.

PPS - Of course, in our over-enthusiasm, we may think too much of ourselves. Here is one to remind us where we stand in today's world with super kids around ...