ONLY Read this if your were born in the 40's 50's or 60's

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


I remember trick or treating all night UNSUPERVISED and unafraid to go into the houses where treats like homemade cookies, popcorn balls, and apples where handed out by little old ladies.

Ours "heros" were Superman, Batman, and Underdog....mostly from comic books that might cost 5 or 10 cents

We could and did walk or ride our bikes anywhere.

Christmas presents were just a few because we were taught to take special care of our things.

We got a lot of our little toys at stores called "five and dimes".

A most awesome thing to do was go to the soda fountain at Woolsworth.

We maybe got 2 pairs of shoes a year. A pair for the playground and a good pair for church.

Oh yea....we actually got 2 or 3 recesses at school and art and music!

reply to post by LittleBlackEagle


I am so taken by my wonderful childhood memories as they are many and beautiful, that I didn't even notice that some are complaining about those of us that still have memories.

Bad or good that is what life is all about comparing our days with the days ahead, I will give anything to go back to the old good days.

Originally posted by Toffeeapple
Someone said there were only 13 TV channels - someone else had 48. We had 3 - BBC1, BBC2 & ITV.

Me and my brother played for hours on a bogey cart made by my dad, and on a tyre with a plank through it, suspended from a tree. It was abnormal not to have a few bruises, & scabby knees!

I had no idea the English had bogeys? We used to scour the streets looking for an old pram to pinch the wheels off. We used them to carry all the Barr's bottles to the shop to buy sweets with.

Three TV channels too, but you could always find something interesting to watch back then.

Scabby knees- there was something wrong if you didn't have them.

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


Thought of one more and this is "older" than me.....

If your teenage sister got she pregnant, she had two choices...run far away from home or get whisked off to a nunnery where Catholic nuns taught them how to behave properly and then had to give their babies up to adoptive married couples before returning home from a "vacation overseas".

There were very few baths in the houses round our way and we used to go to the public baths once a week, you would have to shout " more hot in number six please " unless of course you were in a different number, of course in those days we would never have thought of calling someone elses number out for a joke. No wonder we had dirty knees and faces in those days, the only sink was in the kitchen and that was for food and dishes, we even had an outside toilet without a sink.

One christmas I had a whole wooden tea chest filled with toys, within a couple of hours the toys were left indoors and I was playing in the tea chest for hours, nowadays when a child gets a toy they say " where do the batteries go ".

Listen,
I don't mean this to be mean, but folks who born in the 40s-60s don't have the corner on the market for all the nostalgic things you have mentioned here. I was born in 75, and experienced all that you described, except I didn't eat any worms, that just gross no matter when you were born.

Please stop making out like older folks are the ones who experienced this. Everything, and I mean everything, I also experienced. Yeah I had a friend who ate worms, but I wouldn't.

Maybe I'm a special case and growing up in the country with old school parents made me different, but I don't think I am. Those of you here on ATS who are born in the 70s or after, and have experienced all the great old school stuff mentioned here, stand up and say so!

And stop with the whole, things used to better routine,I remember a lot of old school things that we're not so cool, and while I do miss some of the old school stuff, I appreciate some of the awesome stuff that we have currently.

Example: I'm on an iPad right now typing this using a touch screen. Even though I'm now used to this tech, and am good at using it, I am still in awe that it's even possible. I mean wow! Would a young whipper snapper as you described be amaized by this, I think not.

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


Described my childhood perfectly even down to my 10th birthday present (seriously, it freaks me out how accurate you are ) . I just dont think children realize how lucky they are to be so young, i mean you can play video games when your an adult or teenager, but only as a child can you actively get away with mischief

reply to post by smcneil01


In my Island it was taboo to be pregnant and unwed, we didn't have many of those back in the days and when that happen as it did once in a while, you were immediately married away, regardless as usually the father of the child was always around and the families were always willing to help the young couple.

In the last 20 years my Island has become nothing but a mess of unwed single young teens on government welfare.

In this days you be lucky if you can get child support.

reply to post by wigit


Exactly ! Me and my mates were so desperate for some spare wheels we took the wheels off from the underside of our beds, they were small, but they sure were sturdy

Originally posted by TheOracle
Since those born after 1960 aren't allowed to read this, I scrolled down very fast to hit the reply button (I still caught a few words by accident, I hope you don't mind. I willalso take the liberty to read any answers to my question)

So, here is my question... I heard racial segregation stopped around 1968, does this mean the majority were racists or OK with this back then? Is it something you lot miss too?

Peace!

I dont know, us ATS'ers are like the "Judean popular Peoples Front", the way we sit around talking about politics. We can turn any discussion political, and thats not a critisism Oracle, merely an observation. As for your question, im not American and i certainly wasnt around to see racial segragration (as i was in nappies in 1968), but I imagine it was considered acceptable back then, much the same as apartheid not so long ago in South Africa. Thankfully, through knowledge and experience and unfortunatly conflict, people's acceptance and understanding of our cultures and races has progressed to point we are at today, (although there is still plently of racism around if you look for it). I dont think myself, or any other of us oldies really miss it, do you? or were you being facitious??

For the OP, one thing i wont forget, is how bloody strict our school uniforms were, none of this polo shirts and polyester sweats shirts, it was cotton shirts and wool blazers, and if you were a girl you had to kneel on the floor, and god forbid if your skirt didnt touch the floor. I dont think that was a bad thing, when i see some of the girls at my daughters school, im not sure if their wearing wide belts or skirts

Originally posted by ShadowAngel85

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
Why in the world would you eat mud? Have fun with parasites......

Because they were stupid.

As i said: Those 'wonderful' kids from then, that had everything, were so awesome and played outside are the bastard politicians and greedy CEO we have today. Can't wait for those generations to die out....

edit on 3/2/2012 by ShadowAngel85 because: (no reason given)

Ummmm...........Wow, what a fine, budding, little eugenicist we have here, so compassionate. Why the little Eichman even wants to eradicate anyone a day older than he. This sad excuse thinks that everyone over the age of him, is a "bastard politician" or a "greedy CEO". Last time I checked, I never entered politics, or the corporate world. But what the hell, this little hitler is obviously enlightened to the point where he knows all and sees all. A veritable psychic.

What a twisted little world you must have experianced, a small, tiny little psychotic fugue that persistent, rules your psyche. How on earth, you can take someone's good memories and tweak them into blame for your percieved world ill's, is beyond the pale......Look in the mirror..........son...You advocate what you despise and have become that reflection........Your mind is small, your life smaller still, your perceptions and self approach the vanishing point...and for what......a purile sense of superiority...

YouSir

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


I do enjoy this post a lot.

I also just wanted to state, that even in times with video games and 999 channels on the TV.. I'm 22 and when i was growing up, I was doing all that stuff as well.

My parents were born in the 60s and they didn't go easy on me or my siblings.

We played sports, were out all day, having bike races, finding new things, exploring the woods, etc...

But I see your point and I understand what you're saying.

snf

Born in the 60's. I remember watching the moon landings on TV, and old vacuum tube RCA. I remember doing many of the things the OP mentioned, plus things others have posted.


I remember riding in the car with my dad, hearing the news on the radio talk about something called "Vietnam" and when I asked my dad about it, he said it was a "[bleep] up situation." and then getting my mouth washed out with soap when I asked my mom what [bleep] meant! hehehehe.

I remember watching this really boring guy on TV going on about how he wasn't a crook. I asked my dad who the guy was. He said: "That's the president. And he's a crook."

I was really confused.

I remember going to the small corner store with a dollar and being able to get a soda, candy bar and 2 comics. That was heaven for me.

I remember being bored to tears because it was raining and I couldn't go outside to play. Building forts. Playing with cap guns. Removing almost every inch of my skin because I decided I was going to be just like Evel Knievel on my bike.

Not saying things were always better, but in many ways they were different, just as my period of growing up was different than the previous generation. Just ask my dad how much HE could have gotten with a single dollar!

hehehehe.

I've got 6 kids, and 2 grandchildren now. I pretty much tried to raise my kids as I was, and threw them outside all the time to play.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by LittleBlackEagle

 

I am so taken by my wonderful childhood memories as they are many and beautiful, that I didn't even notice that some are complaining about those of us that still have memories.

Bad or good that is what life is all about comparing our days with the days ahead, I will give anything to go back to the old good days.

i hear that, although there were many things happening then that i would care to forget also, but yeah they were good times indeed for the most part.

I call BS on the ear rings and the bad names. I remember some of that going on! I also use to love chomping on something with lead paint on it before bed every night. Besides the weird dreams, I don't believe it's had much of an effect.

I was born in '73.

Late 70's and 80's was a great time to grow up. I miss that time. I miss Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl of cereal. I played Star Wars outside all day long like the day would never end and hated being called in for dinner. What was more important - playing with my friends or eating? Parents just didn't understand.

In the evening we watched, as a family, our favorite TV shows (crap really when I look back on them, but they were entertaining at the time) I was the TV remote

I miss the innocence of childhood and though I enjoyed and cherish what my childhood gave me I still envy those born in the late 40's and 50's. It seems like it would be that much better - even without the Saturday morning cartoons.

Today?
Technology is a blessing and a curse. I hate being "accessible" 24/7 - in fact I got rid of my cell phone, but I like not having to go to the library to look up old out dated material on some interest I have.

The information age, the internet, Netflix etc. is certainly nice - BUT - I would give it all up to live in a simpler time. I think in our rush to "improve" life we may be forgotting the things that are really important ... each other.

Edit: I grew up in the suburbs of a relatively large city. Now I prefer the country.

I was born in the early 80's, and the op could have easily described my childhood! Everything, except teachers could only hit us during my first two years of school.

We did have video games (Original Nintendo; Super Mario, Tetris), but me and all the kids I knew only played them on really stormy days. Rainy and snowy days didn't even stop us from playing outside.

There was this old guy who had an enclosed front porch. On his porch he had a refrigerator stocked with all kinds of pop (soda). His porch was always open for the neighborhood kids to drink. No one ever abused his kindness, and we only took occasionally.

An old lady held a special Saturday afternoon event every week for all the kids in the neighborhood. She gave us healthy snacks and juice boxes. She would play some cartoons based on the Bible. And she would play her piano and we'd all sing with her. There would be anywhere from 10-20 kids at this old woman's house every Saturday afternoon.

It was nice when neighbors could be fully trusted with children without the fear of 'funny business.'

Great thread OP. And apologies for reading because I was born in 1993 but I thought I might get some good old info. Being from a small town in India, luckily I almost had the same childhood experience (except that computers and video games existed but that doesn't matters because we had not much money to buy them). We still get milk from milkman and not a dairy factory processed milk. Even most of the milk products are made at our home. And I am really grateful that we do not have much drugs and alcohol like the western world do. But sadly the things have changed rapidly in last few years which people call modernization. Small shops and manufacturers are vanishing with the oncoming of malls with all packaged stuff.

I can't get back my childhood but I wish the others had this beautiful time.

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


Hear, hear. I can remember drinking out of mud puddles that I could see the rainbow sheen of petroleum on. Didn't seem to hurt me at all. Also, i remember having a bath once a week!

Like this one alot....

Originally posted by Toffeeapple
Someone said there were only 13 TV channels - someone else had 48. We had 3 - BBC1, BBC2 & ITV.

Me and my brother played for hours on a bogey cart made by my dad, and on a tyre with a plank through it, suspended from a tree. It was abnormal not to have a few bruises, & scabby knees!

Im off work today, i really should be cleaning the house, but this thread has sent me on a lovely jaunt down memory lane Remember when chopper bikes were all the rage, i had one, i can remember to this day letting my friend have a turn and she wouldnt give it back, so i grabbed the back of it, and got dragged down the road on my knees and we had a gravel road not tarmac, i think my mother bathed my knees with water and toilet paper there was blood, rivers of it. Taught me to LEARN TO SHARE tho.
Who remember the Witchs Hat and the Spiders Web in the Park, God they were dangerous, fantastic fun.