Posts
Monday, July 12
Do all you want to; take in everything,
but realize that you must account to God
for everything you do.” (Eccl. 11:9-10 TLB)
The Baby Boomer era is said to be the years between 1946 and 1964 so that would include me. I belong in the very first year of that group, born in 1946. So, now you know how old I am!
Each year, when summer comes and the kids are out of school, it always makes me reflect on my childhood summers that seemed to last forever. I think about all the wonderful days I experienced growing up. We had so much fun.
But we had no idea we were so deprived.
Deprived? Yup. We didn’t have things like…
* air conditioning
* computers
* videos or DVDs
* chat rooms and social media
* plasma screen TVs
* cell phones and texting
* text messages
* iPods
* and the only blackberries we had came out of grandmother’s garden!
Forced to be outsiders, we actually got exercise by running around playing tag, kick ball, or roller skating. We circled the neighborhood subdivision on our bikes until dark and the bugs hit our teeth or Mom rang the bell to come home.
To cool ourselves, we played in the hose in the backyard and, yikes, we even drank from the hose! Going swimming was a real treat. We made forts, either outside or inside the house. We played games like Mr. Potato Head, Pick Up Sticks, or Clue. And Saturday mornings brought fun cartoons.
We respected our parents, our teachers, and other grownups. We said things like “yes, ma’am,” and “no, sir,” “please,” and “thank you.” Being mean, stealing, or hurting someone was not part of our personalities. Well, not most of us anyway.
Almost everyone went to church on Sunday. All the stores, except for a few restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, were closed to honor the Lord’s Day. And it was the law.
Every night, we ate dinner together as a family at the kitchen table. Except Sunday night. On Sundays, we raided the fridge for leftovers and gathered around the black and white picture tube in the family room to watch Superman and Ed Sullivan.
The family car, left in the driveway or on the street at night, appeared exactly the same when the sun came up.
Having a lemonade stand at the end of the street existed without the risk of its owners being abducted.
On clear nights, we would lie on a blanket in the backyard, waiting for the house to cool for bedtime. We would gaze up at a bazillion stars sparkling against the black velvet sky.
Ah, those never-ending summer daze (daze…to overwhelm or dazzle)!
Let’s see…we were deprived of what?
This is part of the One Word Blog Carnival at Bridget Chumbley's site.
Love this summer daze! Yes I do remember playing outside for exercise.
kim
LOL! It was fun, wasn't it? And thank you so much for your comment! Blessings to you!
ahhh...summer daze...we loved playing hide-and-seek in the dark and played Monopoloy all the time (it was a never-ending game - lol) ~ SO MANY great memories with cousins!
Times sure have changed.
When I was a kid, our families all lived around the same area; so we were able to see our cousins a few times a week (sometimes daily).
Just yesterday, my kids left to visit their grandparents and cousins who live 5 hours away. ;)
Excellent post, Lynn. Loved the 'blackberry' comparison. :)
Karla, It is a different world, isn't it? How wonderful for you that you had so much family around you. Not many of us had/have this, especially today. Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings to you!
I'm just a few years younger, and that was it exaxctly. Except we had to go into the woods for the blackberries.
I just missed the "baby boomer" era. I don't even know what my generation is called, but we did much of the same. I do recall getting my bellbottoms caught in my bicycle chain quite a bit. These days, wanting to miss out on nothing, we miss so much.
Thanks for this summer daze Lynn, wonderful!!!
I loved this! My post ran along similar lines. I think times have changed for sure but I know my own girls played loads of make believe, set up big forts and 'houses' outdoors and had big neighborhood games of red rover. I feel like their childhood was different than my own, more technology and more 'entertainment' but we encouraged lots of imagination. I do think parents have to work harder to fight the culture today. Great post!
I love living in a smalltown...we still have most of those wonderful parts of your summer daze! (Except, like Glynn, we have to go up on the mountain for blueberries and blackberries...but oh, so worth it!)
Great memories, thanks for sharing them. :)
Um... wow... I'm on the tail end of the baby-boomers. I was born in 1964. I love how your words reminisced through all those daze... I felt like I was reading about my own past daze. Almost like you were in my head! LOL
YES!!! Every word had me in agreement with you. The truth is? You guys weren't deprived at all! I'm just barely old enough to recognize this and then scurry back to my world of computers. Sorry. I just try to balance the two.
Oh, good, Glynn! Glad there's a few of us out there that remember! LOL Although, it's getting harder and harder to remember! Thanks for stopping by! Bless you!
Hey, Kat! Thanks for stopping by! I think they refer to your generation as Generation X. Why, I do not know! LOL I love your comment about your bellbottoms getting caught in your bicycle chain. Blessings to you!
Hey, Marja! Thanks, sweetie! So good to see you! Hope all is well with you! Blessings to you!
Oh, Rebecca! How awesome to live in a small town. I always wanted to live in one. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. Blessings to you!
LOL! Thanks, Kimberly! Love you!
LOL! You're right, Duane! There can be a balance. Thanks for stopping by. Bless you!
Thanks for the memories!
I pray that kids f this new generation will learn how to use their imaginations too!
I wish at times that kids today were as deprived. My own children don't know what those simple and wonderful days are like.
Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories, Lynn.
HisFirefly, You are so right. I also pray that kids today have adults to encourage their imaginations! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good to see you! Blessings to you!
Thanks so much, Bridget, for taking time to come by and comment. I think kids miss a great deal by just punching buttons rather than relying on their imaginations. Bless you!