With my sister in 1967.

I spent most of my childhood, growing up in a small town in Florida.

When I was a kid…

• We played outside.
• We played outside without our parents having to watch us.
• We played Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers or War. (and never really thought about actually owning a gun!)
• We dug in the dirt.
• We made forts and hideouts on empty lots with brush and debris.
• We rode bicycles for hours. (Without helmets.)
• We sometimes built a fire and slept in a tent in the backyard.
• We were often barefoot.
• For special entertainment, we played outside at our cousins’ houses.

When I was a kid…

• We had daily chores like dusting and washing dishes.
• We read books. My sister and I checking out 20 books at a time from the library.
• We learned how to grow vegetables in a garden.
• We saved our allowance all year so we could buy Christmas presents for our family.
• If we wanted candy or ice cream, we picked up pop bottles and cashed them in for their deposit at the nearby convenience store.
• We did our homework without being told. (And it actually affected our grades.)

When I was a kid…

• If we had fast food it was a special occasion. A sit down restaurant was an event.
• We watched television less than 3 hours a day.
• When we wanted to look something up, we used the encyclopedia.
• Telephones had cords and were only used for important (short) conversations.
• We wrote letters and mailed cards for birthdays and holidays.
• Dessert was a rare treat not a daily source of nutrition.
• We drank water from the tap (or even from the hose). We had pop/soda no more than once a week.
• Other than going to the grocery, shopping was only something you did for school clothes and at Christmas.
• If there was something you really wanted, it didn’t magically show up at the end of the day. If you were lucky in might show up under the Christmas tree.
• We didn’t hang out at the mall or see all the current movies. (I can count the movies I saw growing up on my fingers.)
• We learned to draw, write, and made and built things with our hands.
• We knew how to use our imaginations.

When I was a kid…

• We didn’t have computers, or Internet, or Smart Phones or cable TV.
• If we wanted to communicate, we opened our mouths.
• Safety was something you did, not a government mandate.
• Teachers weren’t babysitters, they were actually allowed to teach class.
• We didn’t always lock our doors.
• Black Friday didn’t start in July.

When I was a kid…

• We loved our country and believed in the American Dream.
• Politicians were intelligent and respected– they were our heroes.
• Congress did something.
• We weren’t afraid of Police. They were there to help us.
• Guns were only used by soldiers, police and hunters.
• Most families we knew only had one working parent, with one job and they were able to live comfortably.
• We were taught honesty and hard work were the keys to success.
• We thought people were just people regardless of color, class or religion.
• You could believe what you heard on the news.
• Everyone wasn’t out to get you.

Then we grew up…

And everything changed.