Being tired from playing, Street Hockey, Skipping.... Remember that? The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. War was a card game. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon. Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle. I'm not finished just yet... Eating Kool-aid powder. Remember when... There were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds PF Flyers) and the only time you wore them at school, was for "gym." It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends. When nobody owned a purebred dog! When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a miracle.
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. When nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got there. It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb. When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then. When any parent could discipline any kid, or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed and did! When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! and some of us are still afraid of them!!!
Didn't that feel good.. just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that! Remember when... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo." Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!" "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly."
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties. It was unbelievable that dodgeball wasn't an Olympic event. Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot. Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better. Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin. Ice cream was considered a basic food group. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true. Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare." Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors. If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!! Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life... I DOUBLE DOG DARE YA!!!
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