How did we survive? Seriously!
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I grew up in a small town in Hungary when we only had 2 channels on our treasured black & white TV and on clear days we could catch the Polish, Russian, Austrian or Check stations with the special antenna my dad built.
Seatbelt? Yeah, right! After I flew over the front seat when dad stepped on the break, my parents had me sit on a pillow, on the floor, behind the driver seat, until I was big enough to have my feet reach the floor when I sat on the back seat.
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How did I survive without my smartphone? We had a landline phone that was used only for important calls. If I wanted to chat with my friends, my mom said, "Get on your bike and talk to her. No phone calls for nonsense!"
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This is what my entertainment center looked like. When the player ate the cassette tape, we masterfully repaired it with a pencil, and when the tape broke, crazy glue did the job.
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My mom let me go to the library only once a week, on Fridays, after school. She knew that if I brought home more than the allowed 6 books, I would spend every waking moment reading. On Fridays when I didn't show up at home by four, mom called the librarian to make it sure I was there. The librarian told her, "Yes, she's here, reading. Don't worry, I'll kick her out in half an hour and I'll let her take home only six books."
We did some dangerous and stupid stuff
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Jumping off the bridge without a life jacket (we didn't even know we could use one)
Where were my parents? Well, they thought me how to swim and float when I was a baby, so they didn't worry.
Biking with helmet on? Oh, no. We didn't have any safety device when we biked on the street or on dirt roads and even on the forest paths. When I bumped my head, mom asked how many fingers she was holding up asked if I was dizzy or nauseous. "You'll be fine! Put ice on the bump."
When I had a scraped knee, my mom's first aid kit contained diluted vinegar wash and a band-aid.
How did we survive to be kids in those dangerous times and reach adulthood? Well, although we did some crazy things, we didn't dare each other to eat Tide pods or sniff condoms through our noses. What were those kids thinking? It's a mystery to me.
The only drugs we knew were Aspirin and occasional antibiotics for infections.
Some of my friends tried alcohol when we were teenagers, I never did. I saw what it did to my father. How stupid he acted when he was drunk and how sick he was after years of drinking.
Yeah, we dared each other to do stupid, scary things, you can read why I thought a werewolf was following me
HERE
I just opened my very own bookstore, click on this
LINK and take a look. You might find an eBook or print you like.
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I can totally relate to this post! Childhood was much simpler back then, but a lot of fun. Some of the things we did would be considered dangerous by today's standards, but it was rare that any of us kids were seriously hurt. We learned about life while making mistakes and doing things our way.
Today on
#OurAuthorGang, author Erika M. Szabo takes us into the Way Back Machine to ask the question and discuss . . . how did we ever survive childhood. Fun stuff.
#waybackwednesday
Excellent post, Erika! Brings back so many memories. Bayer Aspirin, warm 7-Up and chicken soup when sick. No GPS -- we read maps. We always carried a dime and then a quarter for public phone call booths. AM radio only. OIh, man. Good times.
Erika M. Szabo shares fascinating tidbits from her childhood. I can totally relate! Stop by
#OurAuthorGang and check out her post.
I can totally relate! Thank you for sharing!
I can relate to what you shared. Growing up in America, my sister and I watched 'The Three Stooges'. Never once, did our parents or society need to qualify how we shouldn't go around poking others in the eye. Simpler times when common sense prevailed.
That is so true Eva! Although we did some stupid things, we still used common sense.
Today, Erika M. Szabo takes us back to a simpler- um, more dangerous- time... In any case, it sure was fun.
#OurAuthorGang
It was dangerous but sure, it was fun :) And, we learned how to avoid serious injuries and made lasting friendships as well.
Yes. We also learned to use creativity and our imaginations.
I hear you lady. But I don't know what I'd do without those things today.
Yes, we got used to it too fast and too much :)
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