Born 1940 - 1980

I have received the following email many times as I am sure many of you have as well. I read through it every single time because it reminds me just how much easier the world was. I miss it. I miss it for my kids.

Firstly, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no child proof lids 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 infants & children we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, 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, real butter, and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, 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 actually OK and returned home.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes after running into the bushes a few times, so we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, DS, 500 channels on cable, videos, DVDs, CDs, cell phones, personal computers, Internet, or chat rooms. 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 poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door, 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!

I believe our new generations feel they have a certain sense of entitlement. They are growing up faster at a younger age. They are expecting more because we have more. They don't relish in the simplest joys anymore.

Don't you think the new generations are missing out a bit? I do.