To all you 30 something , the below is amusing and brings back fond memories.



> >>>Born before 1986??
> >>>
> >>>According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were
>kids
> >>>in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived,
>because
> >>>our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint
>which
>was
> >>>promptly chewed and licked.
> >>>
> >>>We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or
>
> >>>cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
> >>>
> >>>When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip-flops and
>fluorescent
> >>>'spokey dokey's' on our wheels.
> >>>
> >>>As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags -
>riding
>in
> >>>the passenger seat was a treat.
> >>>
> >>>We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it
>tasted
>the
> >>>same.
> >>>
> >>>We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with
>sugar
> >>>init, but we were never overweight because we were always outside
>playing.
> >>>
> >>>We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and
>no-one
> >>>actually died from this.
> >>>
> >>>We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went
>top
>speed
> >>>down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running
>into
> >>>stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
> >>>
> >>>We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as
>we
> >>>were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one
>minded.
> >>>
> >>>We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No
>99
> >>>channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile
>phones,
>no
> >>>personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.
> >>>
> >>>We had friends - we went outside and found them.
> >>>
> >>>We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!
> >>>
> >>>We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law
>suits.
> >>>
> >>>We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other
>parents.
> >>>
> >>>We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the
>owners
> >>>catching us.
> >>>
> >>>We walked to friends' homes.
> >>>
> >>>We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy
>or
> >>>daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.
> >>>
> >>>We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.
> >>>
> >>>We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
> >>>
> >>>The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard
>of...They
> >>>actually sided with the law.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem
>
> >>>solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion
>of
> >>>innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and
> >>>responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
> >>>
> >>>And you're one of them. Congratulations!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids,
>before
> >>>lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good. For
>those
>of
> >>>you who aren't old enough, thought you might like to read about us.
> >>>
> >>>This, my friends, is surprisingly frightening......and it might put a
>smile
> >>>on your face: The majority of students in universities today were
>born in
> >>>1986........They are called youth.
> >>>
> >>>They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and
>the
> >>>Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel.
> >>>
> >>>They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or
>Belinda
> >>>Carlisle. (possibly not a bad thing of course....)
> >>>
> >>>For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.
> >>>
> >>>AIDS has existed since they were born. CD's have existed since they
>were
> >>>born.
> >>>
> >>>Michael Jackson has always been white.
> >>>
> >>>To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't
>imagine
> >>>how this fat guy could be a god of dance.
> >>>
> >>>They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission Impossible are films
>from
> >>>last year.