Golden years!

Where you born in the forties, fifties or sixties? If so, by modern standards, you should not have survived!

Our mothers probably smoked and drank during pregnancy. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, enjoyed tuna from a tin, and mayonaisse and hardly ever got tested for diabetes.

Our cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

Child-proof lids on medicine bottles had not been invented, and cabinets were left unlocked.
We rode our bicycles without wearing helmets and when we were teenagers we hitch-hiked everywhere.

Our parent’s cars had no seat belts and the air bag was not even thought of. Riding loose in the back of an empty van was great fun
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We drank water from the garden hosepipe and ponds. Bottled water hadn’t been invented!
We consumed lots of cakes, white bread, real butter and full fat milk. Most of us weren’t overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING.

We left home early in the morning, played all day and went home when the streetlights came on. Our parents never gave a second thought to our whereabouts because they knew we would come to no harm.

We spent hours building go-carts out of scraps and then rode downhill only to discover we had no brakes! After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem
We fell out of trees, suffered cuts, bruises, broken bones and missing teeth. There were no lawsuits as a result. If we broke the law the local policeman would lead us home by the ear or give us a quick clip around the head.

We had no Play stations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, video games, cell phones, texting, internet, chat rooms or kid’s TV channels. We had no iPods or MP3s. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them.

We played with worms, made mud pies from dirt and ate beetles but never became ill as a result. Allergies had not been thought of. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and never poked our eyes out. We cut each other’s hands and pressed them together to become blood brothers and sisters without contracting aids.

We rode our bikes to our friends’ houses and knocked on the door, rang the bell or simply yelled. '
Local sports teams had tryouts and not everyone got selected. Those who failed learned to live and deal with disappointment. Imagine that today!

Our generations produced most of the world’s greatest risk-takers, problem solvers, thinkers and inventors. Our growing years saw an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We enjoyed freedom, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all