I was a kid in the 1970s going onto a teenager...here is something about growing up in Australia...see how many relate to your own childhood in the US
GROWING UP IN AUSTRALIA ... take a break from Adult life for a few minutes ..
I'm talking about hide and seek in the park. The corner milk bar,
hopscotch, billy carts, cricket in front of the garbage bin,
skipping, handstands, footy on the best lawn in the street, slip'n'slide,
the trampoline with water on it, hula hoops, pogo sticks, stepping in
enormous puddles, mud pies and building dams in the gutter. The smell of
the sun and fresh cut grass.
'Big bubbles no troubles' with Hubba Bubba bubble gum. A choc-top Mr
Whippy cone on a warm summer night after you've chased him round the
block. When 20 cents worth of mixed lollies was a meal and smoking
those pretend fags was really cool.
Watching Saturday morning cartoons...short commercials, The
Thunderbirds (if you got up reeeeeally early), the Smurfs, AstroBoy,
He-Man, Captain Caveman, Archie, and heeeey heeeeey heeeeeeey it's
faaaaaaat albert. Or staying up late and sneaking a look at the "AO" on
the second telly.
When around the corner seemed far away, and going into town seemed like
going somewhere. A million mozzie bites, wasp and bee stings. Sticky
fingers. It being normal to have food stains down the front of your
shirt - and not something to be embarrassed about. Cops and robbers, cowboys
and indians, riding bikes and catching tadpoles. Marco polo in the
neighbours' pool ("fish outta water?!""NOOOO"), drawing all over the
road with chalk.
Climbing trees and building cubbies out of every sheet your mum had in
the cupboard. When wanting to be an airline hostess when you grew up
was considered cool...
Walking to school, no matter what the weather. Running till you were
out of breath. Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt. Jumping on the
bed. Pillow fights. Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was
cause for the giggles.
Being tired from playing... Remember that?????? The worst embarrassment
was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate
weapon.
Cricket cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle...
eating raw jelly, making homemade lemonade and sucking on a Funny Face.
Remember when...
- There were only two types of sneakers - girls and boys.
- Dunlop volleys with the green 'n' gold or blue and the only time you
wore them at school was for "sports day."
- You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents!
- It wasn't odd to have two or three "best"friends.
- You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas eve.
- When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.
- When 50c was decent pocket money.
- When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for 10c.
- When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there from school.
- It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
- When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at the local Pizza Hut with your parents.
- When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed her or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
- When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.
Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat!
Some of us are still afraid of them!!!
Didn't that feel good?
Remember when...
- Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo" or scissors, paper, rock.
- "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
- Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly".
- The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was boy/girl germs
- The worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.
- Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot.
- Nobody was prettier than your Mum.
- Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
- Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C's.
- Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
- Going to the beach and catching a wave was a dream come true.
- Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dare".
- Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
