zwelgen 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Something lighthearted to think about... According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's probably shouldn't have survived. 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 clackers' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the passenger seat was a treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the same. We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop 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 play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded. We did not have Playstations 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 Internet chat rooms. We had friends - we went outside and found them. We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again. We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned to get over it. We walked to friend's homes. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever. We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that! 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 to deal with it all. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Some of those apply to me but i think for the most part i'm too young for that. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 That lead-based paint made some people awfully argumentative... I ate nearly the whole cot's worth. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 I used to eat - and enjoy eating - creosoted (sp) wooden fences. Link to post Share on other sites
7-11 2 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 I bet that took a lot of research zwelgen Link to post Share on other sites
Glen Falting 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 So what is the stupidest thing you have ever done? In defference to the abortion thread - unprotected sex with a stranger doesn't count. A couple of mates and I once got our hands on a hundred meters of rope and a parachute and did a bit of DIY paraseiling behind a ute at an abandoned airfield near Sydney. As the ute took off the parachute would flap like crazy while it was going up. Once the rider was at the maximum height, he would disconnect the rope and ride the chute back to the ground. Only one of us ended up in hospital with concussion, so on reflection we got off pretty lightly. Anyone else? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Did you come up with all those yourself zwelgen? There's some zingers in there. Riding bikes with just the hood of your anorak on - did that! Also, attached water pistols to the handlebars which isn't a very good idea. Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan 0 Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 Climbing trees! And making a rope-swing... (usually over somthing like a river or brambles or just plain hard rock!) Link to post Share on other sites
peterson 0 Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Funny stuff zwelgen Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted May 26, 2003 Author Share Posted May 26, 2003 Nah I didnt do it, someone fwd me it on email and I thought it was pretty funny. Stupidest thing Ive done? Hmmm. I think it has to be either jumping off some stupid high cliffs into rivers or riding my bike along the top of the sea wall near my house. Kanbei - you crazy! But I think I would have been in with a grin. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Taking a friend who couldnt swim to Hozugawa river. Then having to save him and his wife from floating down the river. Link to post Share on other sites
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