A different world....

I was born in 1965...yep, I'm THAT old.. and I had to have the conversation with my kids. No, not THAT conversation!  The conversation I had to have with them was regarding how they seriously live in a different world from the one I grew up in.  My childhood was filled with playing outside ALWAYS!, having the freedom to walk anywhere at anytime without the fear of something bad happening to me or my friends, not having the option of going to any store after 9 pm or all day on Sundays because everything was closed.  Sometimes me and my friends or cousins would not even have to stop playing to come inside to eat- we'd just grab the salt shaker and go sit huddled together in Ama's garden and eat tomatoes until we were too full to eat anymore!  Apa would sometimes be there and he'd pull out his pocketknife and peel fresh cucumbers for us kids to eat.  They were soo yummmy freshly picked with salt on them.  Then we'd run to the waterhose to take turns drinking icy cold water.   I really was lucky to have grown up in the era that I did.  All of the kids had so much imagination and since we were so poor, we really didn't have toys, but we never lacked having tons of fun!
Bucky Covington sings a song that hits it right on the head...is that how the saying goes??  Or is it that he hit the nail right on the head?? I DON'T KNOW...but you get the point! HA!  (:
Anyway, Bucky's song is one of my favorites because it really takes me back to my childhood when things really were so much simpler.  And I really mean simpler.  As a kid back then, your "job" was to play, go to school, play,  help with chores, play, get dirty because "playing" usually always involved friends that lived real close, dirt, crawdads, a ditch, your bike, and finally coming inside just to go to sleep!   Kids nowadays have so much pressure on them to "grow up!"  It's not fair.  They really are cheating themselves out of the best years of their lives!   I was reminded of this fact recently when a hospital representative called me the day before my son's surgery to confirm the time he needed to be there. We discussed what he should wear, allergies, religious preference,  whether my son is sexually active (not kidding!), and finally, she stressed the importance of the "blue wristband" that would match my son's wristband.  If neither his father or I were wearing the "blue wristband," we were not going to be allowed to take my son from the hospital.  Safety precautions, she explained.  Ok, so tell me, because I'm having a real hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that my son would NOT be allowed out of the hospital without verification that he actually was my son...because he is way too young for them to just assume that once released from the hospital, he would go home with his mom and dad.  But yet...when I was asked if he was sexually active, I reminded her that he was TWELVE!  She said "Oh, but we must ask that by law, if the patient is 10-years-old or older.  And she said "You would be surprised at the number of times I have asked that question and the parents admit that their child is indeed sexually active!  Did you know this?. It made me very sad for the kids that are exposed to this.  I mean Geez people....enjoy being a child while you ARE a child!  And where are the PARENTS of these children?  It is a very sad situation..Anyway, here is the song by Bucky Covington and I think it sums up my childhood pretty darn good! 

A Different World by Bucky Covington   (:

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint
No child proof lids, no seat belts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are, still here we are
We got daddy's belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside, playin’ outside

Chorus
It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

School always started the same every day
The pledge of allegiance then someone would pray
Not every kid made the team when they tried
We got disappointed and that was all right, we turned out all right

Chorus

Bridge
No bottled water, we drank from a garden hose
And every Sunday, all the stores were closed

Chorus

Chorus

It was a different world

And here is the video:

What great memories do you have from growing up?  Or what song takes you back to your magical childhood years?  Listen to that song today and it will make your day a little brighter!
Have a great week!