Life Then and Now

The kids of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s had a different childhood altogether from the kids of today. Theirs was an era of adventure where they savour the joys of carefreeness. The kids of today on the other side of the spectrum are overtly protected and are technology-savvy, the result of the excesses of new found wealth brought about by rapid economic development.

Let us look at life then.

First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked /cleaned
while taking care of us at the same time.

They took aspirin, candies floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups
and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for
fever.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and
when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.

As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles/ motorcycles
for 2 or 3. The richer ones are seen in cars but with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a private taxi was a rare treat.

We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.

We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our
kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect
us.

We go to jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.

With mere 5 pebbles (stones), we would have an endless game. With a ball
(tennis ball best) the boys would ran like crazy for hours.

We catch guppy in drains / canals and when it rain or we even swim there.

We shared one soft drink with four friends; from one bottle and NO ONE
actually worry about being unhygenic.

We ate salty, very sweet & oily food, candies,bread and real butter
and drank very sweet soft sweet coffee/ tea, ice karang, but we
weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters
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, multiple channels
on cable TV, DVD movies, no surround sound, no cell-phones, no personal
computers, no Internet.WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found
them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still
continued the stunts.

We never did have birthdays parties till we are 21.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and just yelled for them!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard
of. They actually sided with the law!

Yet this earlier generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem
solvers and inventors ever!

The past 40 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

There was freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned.

What about the kids of today? What have they got to show?

Quote of the Day:

Heartsong