Good luck to the class of 2003

[j6p]

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats,

those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's, 70's probably shouldn't have survived.

We had no childproof lids or locks on medicine

bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no

helmets.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a

bottle.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda

pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were

always outside playing.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of

scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the

brakes. After running into the bushes a few times and scraping some elbows and knees we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day,

as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able

to reach us all day, no cell phones.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes,

no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies,

surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet

chat rooms.

We had friends! We went outside and found them.

We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would

really hurt.

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there

were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No

one was to blame but us, remember accidents?

We had fist fights, punched each other and got black

and blue, healed and learned to get over it. Nobody got shot.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,

although we were told it would happen, we did not put out any eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or

rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. We'd take our glove, bat and ball, go to the playground if no one was there we would wait. Someone always showed up....game time.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who

didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment and go practice to improve their game.

Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were

held back to repeat the same grade.

Tests were not adjusted for any reason.

Our actions were our own, consequences were expected.

The idea of parents bailing us out if we got in trouble in school or

broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the school or the

law.

We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility --- and we

learned how to deal with it.

This generation has produced some of the best leaders, risk-takers, problem

solvers, and inventors of our time.