Now where did I put my youth. . . hmm, it was around here somewhere. . . Let's take Bev's question from yesterday. What did you do as a kid that you miss doing as an adult? Or, what was the best part of being a kid?
20 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I miss my dogs. Admittedly, I had dogs (the bigger the better) even into adulthood, but for the last twenty years I've lived in a pet-controlled building (cats and birds only). I miss my lovable and stolid mastiff, Winston, and my slightly-addled and even more lovable St. Bernard, Petunia. Have to go now, Kitty Kelly is giving me the evil eye.
I'm only 27 but I assume this can still apply to me. :-)
I miss not having to worry about "grown-up" things like car insurance, doing taxes, going to work, etc. But hey, that's life and I accept it.
But since you asked, there's a lot more that I don't miss: early bedtimes, not being allowed to see R-rated movies, fighting with my brother over who gets to sit in the front seat of the car, etc.
I just have to keep that childlike sense of wonder and everything will be fine. :-)
I miss my dog and still think about her. She was a collie and absolutely adorable. I don't think she thought of herself as a dog either; she thought she was one of my sisters.
I also miss bringing my ice skates to school. We used to ice skate every day after school. Or go sledding. Needless to say, living in the desert, I don't go ice-skating very much.
Isn't it funny that when you're a kid, you can't wait to grow up but when you're an adult, you'd give your right arm to be a kid again? Although I most definitely would not want to repeat the fourth grade. *shudders*
I miss laying out in the grass on a lazy summer day and looking up into a clear blue sky dreaming of what's out there AND not feeling guilty about wasting the time!
Furniture forts, home-made playdough, treats on holidays, afternoon naps, reading under the covers with a flashlight, school and homework being my only real responsibilities. While I do indulge in a furniture fort from time to time with my little boy, it just isn't the same as when I was a kid.
“Youth is wasted on the young,” a truism that reveals itself daily as the years pile on. As a kid in the ‘60s we were truly free to be kids. There were real risks, riding bikes, hunting, fishing, trampolines, riding in the back window of the car on a family trip, swimming, etc. In the summer time we were put outside and the door was latched, be home for dinner. If I had my druthers I would get rid so many of the child protective laws. It’s like parents today want their kids to face no danger therefore stumping growth of character, and experience, the boy in bubble if you will. “Ahhh…to be young!”
StanH - I know what you mean. How did we survive our childhood without government intervention? We had a mini vacuform model maker to make little plastic cars (and Incredible Edibles!) and real bows and arrows and cap guns with real gun powder caps, and a chemistry set with real chemicals! (I had brothers...) And, like you, we were told to go outside and play and be home by dinner. Nobody watch us, but everybody watch out for us. We skinned our knees and elbows and nobody got sued!
Back in the 1950's Marx was a manufacturer of little plastic figures. They would sell them as playsets (there actually is a place you can get them today.) Anyway, as a really little kid in the early to mid 50's, I would get them from Santa. I remember Fort Apache, Roy Rogers, West Point, Robin Hood all in 55mm plastic with all tin storefronts, barracks etc.
We had a ton of cowboys and Indians and my dad set up one ass kicking train set-up complete with two separate mountain ranges (with plastic bears, natch, indian villages, army forts, a town and a ranch. The mountains were proch screen and plaster of Paris, and a painted mural on one of the walls.
When I was about the 8th grade, my Dad took it all down and we put up a ping pong table. As a result, I got to be a pretty damn good pong player, but regret we have no pictures of the train set-up. I still have some of the little men, and occasionally actually do some high end military modeling in my spare time to this day.
Stan and Bev. I agree. I did all kinds of damage to myself, but I got over it and I think I'm better for it today. I would have hated to have grown up today when everyone is so paranoid of anything happening.
Scott, I like your thinking. Someday I'll finally be rich and then I can buy all the Legos I need! Hoooo ha ha ha!!!
Andrew: My first train set was a Lionel. But by the time I was 11, HO had become the big thing (maybe I should the small thing), and I got a Marklin (German) set, and built an entire elaborate setup in what had been my childhood playhouse in the back yard. When I went off to college, my mom had the playhouse torn down, and gave my train set away. My wife said that the only bad thing I ever said about my mother was that she gave that train set away.
Ten years ago, I was out walking on Van Ness Avenue and discovered a hobby shop that dealt almost exclusively with electric train sets, from those huge trains that you see in bars, restaurants and very large homes (I think the brand is LG), down to the tiny N-gauge. And guess what. They had Marklin trains. I went nuts, bought an entire set and spent months on model houses and factories and farmhouses for the layout. It was like being a kid all over again. This time, I'll keep it, and pass it on to one of my grandsons.
Lawhawk, HO was the big thing too when I was young (that an N scale). We didn't have Marklin though -- we were Flieshman people. I still have all the pieces in a box in my parent's basement. I keep saying that some day I'll build it again. . . but that's unlikely.
Not knowing what I needed to worry about... it being OK that I didn't know all about the big, bad things hanging over our heads everyday thanks to the Soviets, dumb gov't, nature, being broke, etc
any country music folks? there is a song I think called "19 something" that had to be written by someome about 2 years older than me. Remembering "1970-something" and "1980-something" events. sums up a "back then" feeling for my generation.
WriterX: I agree about 4th grade, but I include from 4th all the way through 12th!
20 comments:
I miss my dogs. Admittedly, I had dogs (the bigger the better) even into adulthood, but for the last twenty years I've lived in a pet-controlled building (cats and birds only). I miss my lovable and stolid mastiff, Winston, and my slightly-addled and even more lovable St. Bernard, Petunia. Have to go now, Kitty Kelly is giving me the evil eye.
I'm only 27 but I assume this can still apply to me. :-)
I miss not having to worry about "grown-up" things like car insurance, doing taxes, going to work, etc. But hey, that's life and I accept it.
But since you asked, there's a lot more that I don't miss: early bedtimes, not being allowed to see R-rated movies, fighting with my brother over who gets to sit in the front seat of the car, etc.
I just have to keep that childlike sense of wonder and everything will be fine. :-)
I miss my dog and still think about her. She was a collie and absolutely adorable. I don't think she thought of herself as a dog either; she thought she was one of my sisters.
I also miss bringing my ice skates to school. We used to ice skate every day after school. Or go sledding. Needless to say, living in the desert, I don't go ice-skating very much.
Isn't it funny that when you're a kid, you can't wait to grow up but when you're an adult, you'd give your right arm to be a kid again? Although I most definitely would not want to repeat the fourth grade. *shudders*
I miss laying out in the grass on a lazy summer day and looking up into a clear blue sky dreaming of what's out there AND not feeling guilty about wasting the time!
I'm with Bev, I miss the not feeling guilty about wasting time. You never really get a break from having things that need to be done as an adult.
I miss having 3 months off in the summer!
Furniture forts, home-made playdough, treats on holidays, afternoon naps, reading under the covers with a flashlight, school and homework being my only real responsibilities. While I do indulge in a furniture fort from time to time with my little boy, it just isn't the same as when I was a kid.
Tam, Furniture forts were great. I miss my legos too!
Tam - I forgot about furniture forts! We never had a treehouse but my brother and I could go to town with two chairs, a mattress, and some sheets.
As for Legos, hey, I've always said, "When I'm rich and eccentric, I'll start playing with legos again!"
“Youth is wasted on the young,” a truism that reveals itself daily as the years pile on. As a kid in the ‘60s we were truly free to be kids. There were real risks, riding bikes, hunting, fishing, trampolines, riding in the back window of the car on a family trip, swimming, etc. In the summer time we were put outside and the door was latched, be home for dinner. If I had my druthers I would get rid so many of the child protective laws. It’s like parents today want their kids to face no danger therefore stumping growth of character, and experience, the boy in bubble if you will. “Ahhh…to be young!”
StanH - I know what you mean. How did we survive our childhood without government intervention? We had a mini vacuform model maker to make little plastic cars (and Incredible Edibles!) and real bows and arrows and cap guns with real gun powder caps, and a chemistry set with real chemicals! (I had brothers...) And, like you, we were told to go outside and play and be home by dinner. Nobody watch us, but everybody watch out for us. We skinned our knees and elbows and nobody got sued!
i miss running full out without pulling anything. or hanging upside down on the monkey bars without the fear of ending up in traction...
Back in the 1950's Marx was a manufacturer of little plastic figures. They would sell them as playsets (there actually is a place you can get them today.) Anyway, as a really little kid in the early to mid 50's, I would get them from Santa. I remember Fort Apache, Roy Rogers, West Point, Robin Hood all in 55mm plastic with all tin storefronts, barracks etc.
We had a ton of cowboys and Indians and my dad set up one ass kicking train set-up complete with two separate mountain ranges (with plastic bears, natch, indian villages, army forts, a town and a ranch. The mountains were proch screen and plaster of Paris, and a painted mural on one of the walls.
When I was about the 8th grade, my Dad took it all down and we put up a ping pong table. As a result, I got to be a pretty damn good pong player, but regret we have no pictures of the train set-up. I still have some of the little men, and occasionally actually do some high end military modeling in my spare time to this day.
Stan and Bev. I agree. I did all kinds of damage to myself, but I got over it and I think I'm better for it today. I would have hated to have grown up today when everyone is so paranoid of anything happening.
Scott, I like your thinking. Someday I'll finally be rich and then I can buy all the Legos I need! Hoooo ha ha ha!!!
Jed, I had a German trainset as a kid, built by my grandfather. That was great!
Andrew: My first train set was a Lionel. But by the time I was 11, HO had become the big thing (maybe I should the small thing), and I got a Marklin (German) set, and built an entire elaborate setup in what had been my childhood playhouse in the back yard. When I went off to college, my mom had the playhouse torn down, and gave my train set away. My wife said that the only bad thing I ever said about my mother was that she gave that train set away.
Ten years ago, I was out walking on Van Ness Avenue and discovered a hobby shop that dealt almost exclusively with electric train sets, from those huge trains that you see in bars, restaurants and very large homes (I think the brand is LG), down to the tiny N-gauge. And guess what. They had Marklin trains. I went nuts, bought an entire set and spent months on model houses and factories and farmhouses for the layout. It was like being a kid all over again. This time, I'll keep it, and pass it on to one of my grandsons.
I miss my parent's bridge. . . :-D
Lawhawk, HO was the big thing too when I was young (that an N scale). We didn't have Marklin though -- we were Flieshman people. I still have all the pieces in a box in my parent's basement. I keep saying that some day I'll build it again. . . but that's unlikely.
Not knowing what I needed to worry about... it being OK that I didn't know all about the big, bad things hanging over our heads everyday thanks to the Soviets, dumb gov't, nature, being broke, etc
any country music folks? there is a song I think called "19 something" that had to be written by someome about 2 years older than me. Remembering "1970-something" and "1980-something" events. sums up a "back then" feeling for my generation.
WriterX: I agree about 4th grade, but I include from 4th all the way through 12th!
riaWTX - Mark Wills in the singer you are thinking of.
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