Yep, there was nothing cool for us as children in my generation. Sure there was TV, and even color TV in fact, but there also was no cable vision. And we as children were really more of antenna (or aerial) adjusters and remotes for the TV our parents watched just those three channels on. We played soldiers, but with not a lot of money, sticks were our guns and pine cones our grenades. We also all played sports with old gear, and things like stop signs and man hole covers were bases, small piles of snow were our goals. And doing school work was our JOB and there was really little incentive to do more…..we were just kids.
But tonight my youngest, Ben, ate a pizza he earned for reading extra books from the library, and that little rat ate it right in front of me. I will confess that I suppose me and my childhood friends might have read more too if someone put pizza on the line, but there was never anything that cool, and had there been we would have been quite suspicious
! In my day (to sound like my dad) we went out to eat as a treat and treats were pretty rare. We had nothing electronic and just had to rely on old fashioned playing and our imaginations. And even though I may not have ever earned a pizza (EVER in my life), I did have the privilege to skate on the ice with some of the greatest hockey players of all time (although this was completely contained in our neighborhood minds) and these same young men also were the very ones who liberated more people in the name of freedom than John Wayne did in movies (although this was also just in our minds). But you need to remember that we were the same generation that “Pong” was released to, and we thought it to be a scientific marvel.
But I have no regrets growing up when I did, as I really do appreciate the blessings it gave me. Yeah, it wasn’t as “cool” as everything is today, but I will take it anyway because to me it has meaning and continues to provide me life lessons.
As an example, I posted something on Facebook the other day about my struggling to make some important decisions in my life when one of my childhood friends, Sean O’Shea (yes, he might just be Irish) posted this. He said, “Look at it from a hockey perspective, you’re bearing dow on the goalie and you see no viable shot, with some patience and a good deek the right window opens up and bam you score!!”
That I got……….what I don’t get is my iPhone. We just got experience and that I will keep and cherish. Today’s kids get the pizza, and quite honestly they can have it!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+