This makes me feel very, very old!

[dottie]

This makes me feel really old.

> >FOR THOSE 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 in
> >it, 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.
> >
> >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.
> >
> >
> >
> >They can never imagine life before computers.
> >
> >They'll never have pretended to be the A Team, RedHand Gang or the
> Famous
> >Five.
> >
> >They'll never have applied to be on Jim'll Fix It or Why Don't You.
> >
> >They can't believe a black and white television ever existed. And
> they
> >will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile
> phone.
> >
> >Now let's check if we're getting old...
> >
> >1. You understand what was written above and you smile.
> >
> >2. You need to sleep more, usually until the afternoon, after a
> night out.
> >
> >3. Your friends are getting married/already married.
> >
> >4. You are always surprised to see small children playing
> comfortably with
> >computers.
> >
> >5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
> >
> >6. You remember watching Dirty Den in EastEnders the first time
> around.
> >
> >7. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the Good
> old
> >days, repeating again all the funny things you have experienced
> together.
> >
> >8. Having read this mail, you are thinking of forwarding it to some
> other
> >friends because you think they will like it too... Yes, you're
> getting
> >old!!