Growing Up in the 60s and 70s...

For those of us who were lucky enough to grow up and experience the freedom of childhood in the 60's and 70's, you will enjoy this list. For those of you who are children of the 80's, 90's, 2000's, you too will find this list interesting...and a sad commentary of what you have missed out on.

• Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
• We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets.
• We rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
• As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
• We drank water from the garden hose 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 cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop 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 building our go-carts 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, no Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  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 given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, 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 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. Imagine that!!
• The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
• We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it!
• We were fortunate enough to grow up in a time before lawyers and the govenment regulated our lives for "our own good". 

Please note: This is not an original list created by me; it is a saved document of whom the original author I am not sure. To whomever this original author may be, credit to this person is recognized. Although I did make a couple of edits to update the list.