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Friday, July 24, 2009

It's My Birthday!/Lucky To Be Alive!

I had written, in longhand, (in a Composition Book, because I'm all cool and retro like that) a post about Expectations. (I do longhand when I'm in bed and get a burst of creativity...or crap.) Did I say it was long? Oh yeah, I said in longhand, I also meant in looooonghannnd. Yeah, it was long. It was also kind of dark. So I ditched it. I'll save it for another day when I'm in the mood for a pity party.

Cause this ain't no pity party! Oui, Oui, Oui! Oui, Oui, Oui! (Doin' the birthday dance!)

So instead of Expectations, I decided to change my Birthday Theme to "Lucky to be alive". What? You're saying that's kind of dark too? No, not really. It's just a commentary on how times have changed and how someone of the ripe old age of 48 (did I type that?) is lucky to be around considering all the shenanigans we got into as kids and considering all the new fangled safety devices that are around to protect our children today.

As a child:
We never wore seat belts. Not required. Most cars didn't have them.
We never wore bicycle helmets. What helmet?.
We never had any anti-bacterial soaps or cleaners.
We never had hand sanitizer.
We drank tap water without a second thought.
We drank from the garden hose all summer long. Every summer!
We ran wild through the neighborhood, or the next few over and our parents were none the wiser as long as we were home on time for lunch and dinner.
We trick-or-treated by ourselves and ate most of our candy before we got home.
We used insect repellent products containing 100% Deet or some more deadly carcinogen.
Rambunctious toddlers ran loose and our parents didn't have a care in the world. There were no toddler leashes or GPS Nanny Devices. Speaking of nannies, we didn't have nannies or governesses unless we were British royalty or our names were von Trapp.
We didn't have to worry about "R" rated movies. There were either movies everyone could watch, or XXX movies. And us kids didn't know about those, unless we had some pretty cool teenage friends.
We raced on our bicycles chasing the ice cream truck like starving orphans, without any regard to other vehicular traffic. And it came every single summer day.
Mr. Rogers was our neighbor and he came into our living rooms every day and no one thought that was the slightest bit odd, this kind of man-child who played with puppets and trolleys in the neighborhood of make-believe.
If our parents were smokers, they smoked literally everywhere. At fast food restaurants, bars, grocery stores, airplanes. Just about anywhere but church. There was no consideration for secondhand smoke. It was smoke em if ya got em.
There was no stranger danger.

Think of it.

How is it we survived? And how did so many of us survive?

I'm so glad you did, so you can join me in celebrating my birthday!
Thank you for stopping by.

As per the usual, everything is hush hush around here.
Our son keeps teasing me with, "I know what we're doing for your birthday". (In kind of a sing song taunt. Don't you hate that? Wait until his birthday!)
I respond, "No you don't!"
He replies, "Well...yeah...so!"
Good answer! Lol! Anastasia is keeping her lip zipped, so we'll see what happens. If nothing else, I know where a big ol' bottle of Strawberry Margarita Mix is stashed.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

33 comments:

Dawna said...

Happy Birthday! You have an award at my site when you get a chance to peek at it.

LOL re: lucky to be alive. It's so true. I always wonder how I never died from eating Easter eggs that I toted around and ate on for a couple of days at least!

Suzy said...

Happy Birthday!

The Redhead Riter said...

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Lola,
Happy Birthday to you!

It is Fantastic Friday! ♥ Stopping by to give a little blog ♥

Mira said...

Yup, we were carefree and didn't have all the technologies back then but we survived. But I'm very thankful for the technology now, for without it, I would have not 'met' you ;-) Have a great and blessed birthday, and more to come.

StaceyC4 said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOLA!!! It is amazing that we survived all of that. Another aspect of surviving is looking at today's teens and seeing how they have to have some sort of electronic device attached to them at all times. Imagine if they had to live one day back then where you actually had to go outside and socialize with three-dimensional people and NOT have a cell phone on you at all times?
Anyway, have a GREAT day!

Kelley said...

Happy Birthday, Lola! I personally don't think it's too early to go ahead and whip up that strawberry margarita, but that's just me! Don't forget all the metal toys painted with lead-based paint that we played with, too!

Split Rock Ranch said...

Happy Birthday! Glad you survived all those childhood "dangers"!

Meghan said...

HAHAHA! Happy Birthday!

100% Deet?? We chased the mosquito truck!!!

soulful sepulcher said...

Happy Birthday! this summer is my last one in my 40's! cheers!

Auntie E said...

"Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Lola
Happy Birthday to you."
there now just in case they sing something else:-)

Auntie E said...

You know I did all those things also! And what about that Drinking and Driving? You know I was always in control,lol.
Oh well those days are gone and the New Era,(Century) has now arrived.
You know I always love the taste of water from the hose,LOL.
My mind is gone back to those good Old Days, no worries... just being a kid..Let be kids again:) and drink from that hose....Our kids will think we have flipped out..Oh what fun that would be, hehehe

Buggys said...

Happy Birthday to you! Go crazy today and pretend you're a kid again! Oh, but wear your helmet.

Lin said...

Happy Birthday, Lola! I hope my pally has a wonderful day. :) And you can add to the list how we used to ride in the back of the station wagon with the hatch down. And remember how we used to like the smell of regular gasoline?? We'd all scramble to the back of the car to smell it when we were filling up. I guess that explains a LOT about me!

I am Harriet said...

Happy Birthday!

I am Harriet said...

You're an old lady now...

I am Harriet said...

Going out for pizza tonight?

I am Harriet said...

What's with all the comments?

I am Harriet said...

Still feeling lonely?

Buf said...

Happy Birthday!!

Patricia Rockwell said...

Happy Birthday, Ms. Lola! Oh, 48! Such a youngster!

Sandee said...

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Lola,
Happy Birthday to you!

Have a terrific day honey. :)

CarlosZambrano said...

Happy Birthday

Carlos Zambrano

DerrekLee said...

Happy 48!

AramisRamirez said...

Wow- a birthday!
Have a good one!

AlfonsoSoriano said...

We left ya some will calls.
Happy Birthday!

LouPiniella said...

Are you available for a first pitch?
We're in Cincin.

Daycare Tempe AZ said...

Great post!

<3 Lindsay

Jamie said...

Hopping in from the Blog Hop Linky and wanted to wish you a very happy birthday!!!

Some of us are still using 100% deet. The mosquitoes are awful in my neck of the woods.

Diane said...

i remember sitting on my dad's lap IN THE HOSPITAL while he was smoking a cigarette!

it sure is crazy how things have changed!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DisneyMom said...

Happy Birthday, birthday twin! I hope you had an awesome day!

Anonymous said...

Wow, good points.

Happy Birthday!

Mystery Man said...

Happy Birthday! How's it been so far?

nicole said...

Happy Birthday! And I often think about the things I did as a child that I would never let my kids so now. Kind of sad in some ways.

 
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