This appeared in my inbox today and I thought I'd share it:

TO ALL THE KIDS


WHO SURVIVED the


1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !! and a bit of advice for those born later





First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they

were pregnant.





They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't

get tested for diabetes.





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 childproof 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 < /P>





NO ONE actually died from this.





We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank lemonade 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 O.K.







We would spend hours building our go-carts 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, no video games at all,

no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or

CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no 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 put out very many eyes.



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





These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, 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!





If YOU are one of them . . . CONGRATULATIONS!





You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up

as

kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives





for our own good.





And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how

brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

or the office.....