Close your eyes.....and go back in time.... Before the Internet and DVD's. Before semi-automatic machine guns, joyriders and crack .... Before Xbox, PS3 or Nintendo DS...Way back....
I'm talking about Hide and seek in the park. The corner shop, Hopscotch, butterscotch, skipping, handstands, football with an old can, Bulldog, Beano, Twinkle and Roly Poly, Hula Hoops, jumping in enormous puddles and building dams... When Astro Wars, 'Computer' Tennis, Pac-Man and Donkey-Kong ruled...
The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass. Bazooka Joe bubble gum. An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune- 99's, screwballs or a cider lolly. Wait......Watching Saturday Morning cartoons...short commercials, The Double Decker's, Road Runner, He-Man, Captain Caveman, Swap-Shop, Tiswas, Hong Kong Phooey and Why Don't You. Staying up late for Star Trek or Minder. When around the corner seemed far away, and going into town seemed like going somewhere?
A million mosquito bites, wasp and bee stings. Sticky fingers. Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians. Zorro. Climbing trees and walking to school, no matter what the weather. Running till you were out of breath. Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt. Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights. Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for the giggles.
Being tired from playing...
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate weapons. Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle... Eating raw jelly, orange squash, and ice pops.
Remember when...
There were two types of trainers - girls and boys. Dunlop Green Flash and the only time you wore them at school, was for "gym." You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents! It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
When nobody owned a pure-bred dog. When 25p was decent pocket money. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for 10p. When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there from School. It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents. When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat!
Remember when.... Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo." "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly". The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
It was unbelievable that dodge ball wasn't an Olympic event. Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a catapult. Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better. Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin. Ice cream was considered a basic food group. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dare". Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors. Nobody was prettier than your Mum.
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If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!
Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life...
Go on...I DOUBLE-DARE YA!!!
