Fond Memories.........
Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and read
this.... Go back in time... and have a little smile to yourself
Before the Internet or the Apple Mac.
Before semi-automatics, joy riders and crack....
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...
Way way back........
I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.
The corner shop.
Hopscotch.
Butterscotch.
Skipping.
Handstands.
Football with an old can.
Fingerbob.
Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the menace.
Jam Roly Poly.
Hula Hoops.
The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
Bazooka Joe bubble gum.
An ice cream cone on a warm summer's night from the van that plays a tune
Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps a screwball
Watching Saturday morning cartoons....short commercials, The Double Deckers, Road Runner, He-Man, Zeebedee Tiswas or Swapshop?, and 'Why Don't You'?
Or staying up for Doctor Who.( and it actually terrified you )
When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere.
Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings.
Sticky fingers. Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.
Summer holidays that went on for ever and were always hot and sunny!
Climbing trees.
Walking to school no matter what the weather.
Running till you were out of breath and getting a stitch, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.
Jumping on the bed and Pillow fights.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
Being tired from playing....remember that?
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon playing cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Choppers and Grifters
I'm not finished just yet.....
Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops.
Remember when...
There were two types of trainers - girls and boys, and Dunlop Green Flash - and the only time you wore them at school was for P.E.
You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve.
When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.
When 25p was decent pocket money
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there.
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 pupil at home...
Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc. Parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! - And some of us are still afraid of them!!
Remember when....
Decisions were made by going "eeny meeny miny mo"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
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.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true and often happened when we used to have proper winters!
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
If you can remember most or all of these, then smile and take ptiy on the kids today, you have LIVED and played outside without your parents fearing for your very existence.
If its all before your time, never mind eh, its not your fault!
