TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s

This came to my email and I have to share it.

Some of you have surely seen it already but repetita iuvant!

I am reminded of what the ancient Roman Martial said: aestate pueri si valent, satis discunt. … if, during the summer, a child is healthy he has learned enough. Epigrams X, 62, 12.

And the days are still getting longer.

 

 

 

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have 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, locks on doors or cabinets, and, when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets, on our heads.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck 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 no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren’t overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside playing…that’s why! 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 OKAY. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, Only to find out that we forgot about brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not Have Play Stations, Nintendo and X-boxes. There were No video games, No 150 channels on cable, No video movies Or DVDs, No surround-sound or CDs, No cell phones, No personal computers, No Internet and No chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS And we went Outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, Broke bones and Lost teeth, And there were No lawsuits From those accidents.

We would get Spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand, And no one would call child services to report abuse.

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, 22 rifles for our 12th, rode horses, 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 60 to 85 years have seen 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 those born in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, 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.

While you are at it, forward this 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 ?

~~~~~~~

The quote of-the month by Jay Leno:

“With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of coronavirus and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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28 Comments

  1. Cornelius says:

    Born in 1958, this is all true for me (except the eating worms bit – didn’t do that, but I did try several ants – I found them hot like tiny peppers).

    Fell out of trees, got whacked (by my dad or by the nuns) when I got out of line, cut from a team or two, got my first rifle at 14 (a .22 bolt action Harrington -Richardson, which I still have), built soap box cars out of orange crates and raced them down hills, wore no helmets on bikes . . .

    I survived this horror though . . .

  2. TonyO says:

    Did nearly all that…shot rifles at 9, though my pa could not afford to just give me my own gun, I had to earn that myself, later. And the bullets.

    Here’s the real rub: I didn’t know of or hear of a kid within local circles who died from ANY of the items on that list. Not a one. Nor permanently injured. Sure, there were broken bones, but they mended, and properly. I went to a Catholic school with over 300 students (12 grades), and never heard about these happening to any of the students or their families. Every kid who could possibly get their hands on firecrackers did so in July – but nobody put an eye out or lost a finger. Was that just a statistical blip?

  3. JustaSinner says:

    Same with us born in the 60-70s. Only difference is we programmed our Tandy and Apple Computers BEFORE AND AFTER bike riding, pretend Olympics, cowboys and Indians…

  4. Fr. Reader says:

    I am few decades younger that the generations of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, but I went through most of what is described in this post, because my parents have a very acute sense of freedom and are not easily influenced by fashions and ideologies.

    “Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. ” That was me.
    “We would get Spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand…” Not this. I don’t remember being hit. Perhaps when I was 3yo, certainly not after that.
    “No one was able to reach us all day and, we were OKAY.” Yes!!!
    “..ride them down the hill, only to find out that we forgot about brakes. ” Ha, yes, I wonder how I survived all those bicycle accidents.

    In any case, I had CDs and I played video games, endless hours, but also books, many books : )

  5. Kathleen10 says:

    Played with caps and used rocks to explode them. Sometimes whole rolls of caps and how could we make them go off! Went out in boats with 13 year olds who had their own boats, out in the sound and to different towns, no life vests. Drove cars at 12 and then 14, learned on the road, drove impaired, at that age. Walked down railroad tracks and just got out of the way when trains came, even on trestle bridges where others were jumping into water from it (the train rattled you into the water even if you didn’t want to go). Flew down steep hills on bikes with hands in the air. Went to beer fests with family and drove compromised adults home, at 12 learning to drive a stick shift at night and on the spot. Still drive one. Had boyfriend of sister drive other sister and myself in his race car over 100 miles an hour on the highway, I was about 11. I doubt we even had a seatbelt on, we didn’t wear them!
    Thanks for trip down memory lane. I always think it’s a miracle anybody lives.
    God is good. I wouldn’t trade my childhood for any child’s now. We had something these poor children will never know, and lots of it.

  6. Fr. Reader says:

    If I am allowed to add a second comment.
    Here in my country, during the last 10 or 15 years, society in general, and the Church in particular, exalts the “cute.” Cute saints, cute liturgy, cute activities, cute books with cute illustrations. Often this cuteness means being childish, effeminate, or both. To be polite, also for priests, often means to be cute. High pitch voice and worm-like body gestures.
    Thanks God I did not have this environment during my childhood. Some friends used to play with scorpions (quite common in some areas) and snakes and go hunting. They were also from among the most solidly catholic families. If I organize now an activity with children in which there is a scorpion within 1 kilometer I go to jail.

  7. Ohmie says:

    Having a childhood like this makes you fortunate.

    Giving your children a childhood like this makes you a decent parent.

    Why does it seem like so many of those who received this sort of childhood did not pass it on?

  8. Not says:

    How about at the school cafeteria we had real forks, spoons and real knives.

  9. monstrance says:

    We played tackle football every Saturday with our buddies – no pads.
    Now they play “flag football “.
    Every generation thinks they’re “Old School”. Until you look at previous generation. My Dad grew up in a house with no electricity nor indoor plumbing. He chuckles whenever he hears the phrase “White Privilege”.

  10. mo7 says:

    Here’s what made all this possible for most kids: Dad went to work and mom stayed home.

  11. sjoseph371 says:

    mo7 “Here’s what made all this possible for most kids: Dad went to work and mom stayed home.”
    While true and I agree . . .however, for us Gen Xers, being a latchkey kid made us self sufficient in many ways.

  12. KellyC. says:

    … and yet this was the generation that raised (or soon became) the hippie generation! What happened?! As Fr. Ripperger says “the ‘greatest generation’ was handed a church that was morally, spiritually, and financially at its peak, and left us with a church that was morally, spiritually, and financially bankrupt.” God Bless those of you who have fought to preserve the pearl of great price for us all!

  13. Kathy T says:

    Had a beautiful childhood with lots of time outdoors. Played cowboys and Indians around the block. Rode my bike all over and considered it my horse. Roller blades to the store a mile or two away with a friend to buy ice cream. Spent hours alone in the branch library exploring books. We were able to give that to our kids. Our grandkids live either indoors on some device or are in an organized activity. They seem very immature

  14. Sandy says:

    Agreed, that we thank you for the trip down memory lane. I didn’t do all that but, Kathleen, you reminded me of the time my 6th grade friend and I took the canoe across the St. John’s river to watch the game at the boys’ school and my mother was apoplectic. We survived it all and I know I’m the better for it.

    If I may add, I would not be the same person without nuns in habits teaching me all the way through a real Catholic college! Hard to find today! God bless them all and you, Father!!

  15. Johanna says:

    And yet those same kids grew up to be abysmal parents who did a terrible job raising their own kids.

  16. GHP says:

    ….AND although we had pistols, rifles, and shotguns in the house (and in cars parked at school) there were no mass-murders.

    … And school teachers could use a wooden paddle with holes drilled in to reduce aerodynamic drag. (You were “privileged” to sign the paddle if you were spanked on a third occasion).

    Oh, regarding spankings, the author left out “belt” … and my Dad would say that he left out “razor strop.”

    (^___^)

    — Guy (1952)
    Recipient, Thin Skinny Belt Award (multiple times) …. all richly deserved!!!
    Signatory, 6th Grade Paddle of Shame

  17. deacon5011 says:

    Born Labor Day September 4, 1933. Growing up during the 40’s and 50’s were the fondest memories of my life. Life was simple and easy. During the week it was going to school and after school it was playing outdoors with many friends. Then you heard your mother calling your name to come home for supper or to do a chore. Little time was spent staying in the house. Your play yard was the street because very few cars were on the road. Life of a school age child was uncomplicated. Not so for today’s children. Lastly, all school age Catholic children like myself went to Sunday Mass every week. This necessary experience helped me believe in Jesus Christ and eternal life after leaving this world. Not so for today’s children. To be born in 2023 is difficult for children. God bless today’s children. Deacon John

  18. Clare says:

    My mother survived a childhood like that, and God Willing, will turn 92 soon. She says she, “Never would have told my mother I was bored; she’d give me a chore to do! ‘There’s ironing to do. No one’s polished the silver in a while.’ Better to quietly get a book.” Which, by the way, were never bought, because, “We have a perfectly good library.” Things have fallen even from my lofty Gen-X standard. My son tells me that the women his fiancée lives with don’t know how to wash dishes properly in the absence of a dishwasher.

  19. Jones says:

    Wait a sec.. is the the same cohort that screams, “But Fr. Z you hate Vatican II!”

  20. Shonkin says:

    I also remember that every summer during the 40’s and early 50’s lots of kids died and many more were paralyzed by polio. (Kind of gives the lie to the item about 4 kids drinking pop from the same bottle.)

    [Yes, there was polio. Horrible. There are stats HERE for that period. In 1959 the population of these USA was about 150 million.]

  21. hwriggles4 says:

    Anyone here remember the community pool (or a swimming hole on the lake) having at least a 3 meter high dive? I was born in the late 1960s but those high boards were fun.

    I also remember helping my dad change the oil in the car and discarding the old oil behind the bushes (oops – don’t tell the environmental police that!)

  22. Kathleen10 says:

    Oh my gosh, I can’t resist, memories are flooding.
    hwriggles4 – right, quarry jumping, we did that. I didn’t, but friends did.
    GHP – we had guns, shotguns in our house too. Mom and Dad used to hunt.
    Regarding belts, when my dad jingled his belt, Irish shenanigans =over.
    Sandy, lol, now you have a pleasant recollection to think about. You cheated death.
    We used to hitchhike! Two or three teen girls, hitchhiking, imagine? Nobody disappeared, which is amazing. But generally nobody disappeared anywhere. It wasn’t that kind of world then. I’m talking early 70’s.
    My fondest memories, we had neighbors who had horses, and I loved them all. I could go to a few houses, tack up a horse and ride it trotting or running through the rocky pastures by myself. I wasn’t even a teen. Nobody apparently worried about accidents and lawsuits. It’s fun to remember. I’m officially old now. I hope heaven has horses.
    We had it very good.

  23. jaykay says:

    Over here, on t’other side of the Pond, there were sulphur-headed matches, the heads of which which could be scraped off and loaded into an old hollow clock-key (they seemed to be around in those days). Then, a pointed nail was shoved in and the assemblage flung against a wall, or just down on the ground, so that a spark was created and the nail flew out with a satisfying *bang*. Or I think that’s how it was done, 50+ years later. Nobody seems to have lost either digits or eyes – as far as I recall.

    It was great fun. Parents, all smokers, often didn’t appreciate their matches being… ah… ‘borrowed’. And were not slow to demonstrate their lack of appreciation.

    Tree-houses. Homemade slingshots and bows-and-arrows. Reanacting the great battles of WWI and II with stones, mudballs… anything, really. Blood. Stitches. Iodine. Bandages. How to repair a bike-tube puncture – and pretty much anything to do with a bike, your most treasured possession. How to repair yourself – dockleaves for nettle-stings. Since boys still wore short trousers up to the end of the 60s over here, nettle-stings were a thing. Believe me.

    Dr. Who on Saturday evenings. Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti…

    Stop now.

  24. jflare29 says:

    “…Dad went to work and mom stayed home.”
    That was the first thing that came to mind for me, too.

  25. JonPatrick says:

    I think there was a big change after WW2 when people moved out of the city to the suburbs. There was also the increased perception of danger to kids probably brought about by TV which didn’t match the reality but was still perceived as reality. As a result kids playing in the streets with friends was replaced by organized activities with Mom pressed into service as taxi driver. Fortunately I am old enough that i grew up before this phase hit. I had a lot of freedom in my youth. I recall when we moved to Boston of walking into downtown at the age of 11 and watching them tear down Scollay Square and riding the subways to different parts of the city. No personal computers or cell phones. About that time we got our first landline phone. Computers were something that filled a room with refrigerator sized cabinets (yet were less powerful than the chip in your microwave oven).

  26. TheCavalierHatherly says:

    On the other hand, I grew up in the 90s. I didn’t have many friends, and not none at all in the neighborhood. Went to the park all the time, but always supervised (My father was, and is, a very energetic man). Read and obsessed over history and science books, and played copious amounts of video games when we got a computer. Way more than someone should. I’m certain that I owe my fascination with learning and scholarly investigation to these things.

    I honestly wouldn’t trade my books for all the freedom and fireworks in the world. Not that it was the best way, but I do think the over-exaltation of the early 20th century American “rough and tumble” childhood is shallow and narrow in scope.

  27. hwriggles4 says:

    Here’s a story about my dad I have to share:

    My grandfather was being assigned to the Philippines after WWII. This was 1947. My grandfather was briefly assigned to Washington for about a month to get details worked out. One morning my grandfather left the house without his briefcase. He called my grandmother to ask my dad to bring it to him. My dad was 11 years old and had familiarly with the bus routes. My 11 year old dad showed up at the Pentagon with my grandfather’s briefcase. If that happened today, how much of a security detail would my dad have had to go through, plus inspection?

    It also showed that an 11 year old could be responsible. No wonder it’s often said today that a 30 year old man today is like a 23 year old man sixty years ago.

  28. MrsBridge says:

    Born October 1945. First of nine in a twenty-year span. Mom on good days: “Say your prayers.” Mom on other days: “Do I have to get the yardstick?” We’re all fine today and still Catholic. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.

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