> According to today's regulators and
> > > bureaucrats, those
> > > of us who were kids in the 30's, 40's, 50's,
> > > 60's, 70's
> > > or even the early 80's, probably shouldn't
> > > have survived.
> > >
> > > Our baby cribs were covered with bright
> > > colored lead-based
> > > paint. We had no childproof lids or locks 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 pickup truck on a
> > > warm day was
> > > always a special treat.
> > >
> > > We drank water from the garden hose and not
> > > from a bottle.
> > > Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter,
> > > and drank soda
> > > Pop with sugar in it, but we were never
> > > overweight because
> > > we were always outside playing.
> > >
> > > We shared one soft drink with four friends,
> > > from one bottle,
> > > and no one actually died from this.
> > >
> > > We would spend hours building our go-carts
> > > out of scraps and
> > > then rode 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 would leave home in the morning and play
> > > all day, as long
> > > as we were back when the street lights came
> > > on. No one was
> > > able to reach us all day. No cell phones.
> > > Unthinkable!
> > >
> > > We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64,
> > > X-Boxes, no video
> > > games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video
> > > tape movies,
> > > surround sound, personal cell phones,
> > > personal computers, or
> > > Internet chat rooms. We had friends! We went
> > > outside and
> > > found them.
> > >
> > > We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball
> > > would really
> > > hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke
> > > bones and teeth,
> > > and there were no lawsuits from these
> > > accidents. They were
> > > accidents. No one was to blame but us.
> > > Remember accidents?
> > >
> > > We had fights and punched each other and got
> > > black and blue
> > > and learned to get over it.
> > >
> > > We made up games with sticks and tennis balls
> > > and, although
> > > we were told it would happen, we did not put
> > > out any eyes.
> > >
> > > We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home
> > > and knocked on the
> > > door, or rang the bell or just walked in and
> > > talked to them.
> > >
> > > Little League had tryouts and not everyone
> > > made the team.
> > > Those who didn't had to learn to deal with
> > > disappointment.
> > > Some students weren't as smart as others, so
> > > they failed a
> > > grade and were held back to repeat the same
> > > grade. Horrors!
> > > Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
> > >
> > > Our actions were our own. Consequences were
> > > expected.
> > >
> > > The idea of parents bailing us out if we got
> > > in trouble in
> > > school or broke a law was unheard of. They
> > > actually sided
> > > with the school or the law. Imagine that!
> > >
> > > This generation has produced some of the best
> > > risk-takers,
> > > problem solvers, and inventors, ever. We had
> > > freedom, failure,
> > > success, and responsibility and we learned
> > > how to deal with it.
> > >
> > > And you're one of them! Congratulations.
> > >
> > > Please pass this on to others who have had
> > > the luck to grow up as kids before lawyers and
> > > government regulated our lives for our own good !!!
