You guys remember when floppy disks were like 5.5" across and were actually FLOPPY!!! How about the PUNCH CARDS that you had to feed into the machine :eek: :eek:

This ones to little princess. I don't think that most the folks posting, honestly feel that the younger generation is spoiled, but more to the fact that they have a whole lot more conveniences than some of us older people. I certainly had more than my parents did. I think if anyone needs to loosen the diapers it would be you especially someone with so few posts. I can speak from personal experience about being a pre teen, teen, 20, and 30+, can you speak from experience of being 40+, probably not. I will also agree with you that todays youth in many ways have it more difficult, and yes I can say this with experience because I see what my kid has to go through.

This thread, atleast in my opinion was a light hearted attempt to humor us older generation. take it for what it is, nothing more than humor and jump off the soap box.

Les

Little Princess, We never had that stuff growing up. You are the first generation to have it tough. We never had any of these new and improved problems of today. Asprin/Drugs. I got an Idea...Next time you need an Asprin, go to a pharmacy, not a local Asprin dealer. Younger people do get away with more today. between my little sister all of my friends kids I weep for the future. High school Shootings (By the way my bus got shot at in Jr.High) What ever happened to beating the crap out of each other...Now they shoot. Drugs, What ever happened to Pot and Beer, now its Meth and Heroin. Teachers have become imune and parents are not around to read the sighns or care. I still put the largest blame on the kids. They know the differance between right and wrong, they just wont see the ramifacations for the wrong choice until it has taken negative effects. Thank God I turned out perfect.

Im 40 and one thing I see today that really isnt the kids fault but none the less bugs me is the fact that all the kids (and Im talking 5 yrs and up) call all the adults by their first names! Believe me when I was 9 yrs old I wouldnt have dreamed of going up to my buddies house and knocking on the door and saying "Oh hi Ray, can Ricky come out and play??" I DONT THINK SO!!! He would have backhanded me one then phoned my parents and I wouldve got another one when I got home. I am about the furthest thing away from a nine yr olds peer as you will ever find. They call you by your first name just like their buddies, theres no distinction between adult and child...........no wonder they turn around and tell you to F**k OFF, just like they do to their buddies, want some "respect", try making a distinction.............Think about it. And you know what??to this day I still call all my friends parents Mr. so and so and Mrs so and so, and they are still treated with the respect they deserve.

Oh yeah, and IDRPSTF, "today is the first generation to have it tough" How about my parents generation. my father was 16 yrs old in 1935, the peak of the depression, my dads family was well off, after all he had a baseball glove, but he didnt have a bicycle, the five kids shared one. My mom on the other hand litterally grew up with dirt floors.....nuff said. THEN after my Dads ****ty teen years in the depression he and his buddies all got shipped off to World War 2!!!!.... PERFECT!!!!!. I remember once when I was about 10 or so I asked my Dad why he didnt call up some of his old friends he grew up with and "talk to them on the phone".
He looked me right in the eye and said "THEY"RE ALL DEAD!!"........"KILLED IN THE WAR" sorry Dad. and we wont even talk about the mental scars these guys are still carrying around 50 yrs later. Oh and electricity, that didnt show up till after the war. 1948ish. Sorry to get so serious in this light hearted thread but every time I hear "Oh we had it tough" I have to say "Sorry, but your upbringing...........was a picnic" Doug

It would appear that the common element that is beginning to emerge from most of the above posts is a serious lack of respect with today's younger generation.

I feel this all stems from a lifestyle that is too convenient. That's right, our civility and comfortable way of life in this country has eliminated most, if not all the problems that past generations faced. The toughest thing today is whether to ask for PS2 or Nintendo 64 for christmas, and not a sturdy pair of shoes or a winter coat if your family was fortunate enough to provide them. Kids today demand cars upon getting their licenses, I see high-school age kids with rooms more advanced than a Best Buy and cars that most 30 year-olds couldn't afford 10, 15, 20 years ago. The most basic of tasks and chores has all but been eliminated through modern technology.

I must also agree with that IDRPSTF said...It's due time that the blame went back on the disrespectful kids and they begin facing some real consequences for their actions. This rebelious, punk-ass, whiny, ungreatful generation-X crap has to stop. I fear for the future.

I love listening to today's youth whining about their problems....Fact is, their problems aren't new nor are they limited to them....We all went through the same chit and worse. Ask anyone, and they will tell you so. It's time to man up, woman up, whatever-the-hell-you-consider-yourself-up and deal with it.

It only gets worse as you grow older.

It must absolutely sicken older generations who must listen to the problems of today....think back to those who endured the depression, WWI, WWII, Vietnam...Then reflect upon your own problems and try giving respect to those who support you both home and away from home.

Sir, Maam, miss and Mr. work wonders...

I would agree that the generation now is whiny and punk ass. I was brought up that you use mam/sir when talking to someone you don't know and I still to this day have never had a PS2 or N64. I'm young and I don't even like the current generation with baggy pants with back pockets big enough to fit a laptop in, gold chains around their neck you'd think were clocks, and a lot of other stuff that goes on. I agree with you older guys about the generation though, I'm not like that and my parents would kill me if I ever was like the "normal teen." The generation will change, it may take time but every one who screws up now will get the sense knocked into them. In the mean time the ones who haven't screwed around will just achieve more. A lot of times I'd give anything to live like my dad did back in the 60s/70s in Louisiana.

I think the main thing we are all forgetting is like my parents have told me though out the year while i was growing up "we want you to have a better life then us" With that mentality instilled in each generation how could the youth of today not be like they are? Granted if some of the morals and standards of the 50's, 60's, 70's..etc stayed with everyone while growing up and parenting then things would be different.....but then were would we be progress wise? You think we'd have all these superfast 2ghtz computers? Maybe but i bet they wouldne be out to the public....cause everyone would be outside doing stuff instead of being couch potatoes and playing games. Society and progress are always moving forward and ever changing....i guess its just a matter of keeping up at your own pace and style. :) I mean i like certain typrs of music but that dont mean i have to go and dress the part because all the singers and groupies are doing it! I like video games just as much as the next kid...but i'm not about to shell out a few hundred bucks on a stupid game! I have my own priorities and i'll go with them.....
About the only thing that bothers me about looking at the future is that all the future generations seem to want the easy road to financial success. No one wants to be a tool and die maker.....why?....cause they dont want to get dirty. They all have these jobs stereotyped in their heads that they are gonna work in some sweatshop enviornment....well maybe they will in the begining...but the places that i have been in teh past is like a hosptal zone. you can eat off the floors and theres AC through out the building.....and at teh end of the day when your done with work you can stand back and say "hey i built that" not just......."yea i worked on the code for that game".......ok.....so you mean your responsible for the goofy guy to be able to jump up and down? :rolleyes: All i say is to each his own.....i have chosen my path and am very happy in life where i am. :D

Wow, this brings back memories. I still would not take any of the modern technology away from my 7 yr old daughter. With good parenting, I feel she can still turn out great. She has PS2 and hardly ever plays it. We do family things together (boating, organized sports, etc.).

Also remember You were the remote control. You chose to get paddled at school to avoid ISS or worse, your parents finding out that you cut up in class. If you camped out and were out in the streets late at night, a local officer would put your bicycles in the trunk of his car and drive you back to your camp site.

This thread is great for memories. None of which I regret. I am 35 and graduated high school in 1986. I think that timing was perfect. I hope with todays technology and with the values I can remember growing up with, my children will have endless opportunities in life.

Princess

#1: I think it's great that a young female is into performance boating.

#2: While each generation thinks that the subsequent one has it easy, it is difficult to defend the loosening of morals and the dropping of waistlines of the current teen crop. Sexuality is a normal development in our lives but schools have, in the past, done a passable job of setting reasonable restrictions on the appearance and actions of the teens on school premises.

Back in "my" day, you dressed properly in school (nothing showing bellies, no shorts, no profanity or suggestive clothing or graphics on t shirts), you showed respect to the teachers and staff, you did a reasonable job of following the major rules, you attended class, and you turned in your work on time. If you didn't, you got punished in one of several ways:
You got demerits (towards more substantial punishment)
You got detention (after school)
You got ISS (in-school-suspension)
You got OSS (out-of-school-suspension)
OR
You got your butt fired up with "THE EQUALIZER" (a big club-sized paddle with big holes drilled in it "to let the pain flow freely")

You know those smart@sses you see in school who get detention all the time and still smart off to the teachers and are generally little useless distracting brats? THEY DID NOT EXIST when I was in school.

Some felt "The Equalizer" enough to decide it just wasn't worth it... Some simply KNEW "The Equalizer" EXISTED and stopped well short of meeting it "cheek to cheek".

Other less determined brats (like me) never even got close to that point BECAUSE WE KNEW we would get our tails hammered on.

THESE DAYS the teachers have no EQUALIZER in their arsenal. I am convinced that the EQUALIZER affected far more students sitting in its glass case in the center of the school office than it did when it was pulled out. These days, students have RIGHTS that they did not have in my day. You cannot THREATEN to beat a students tail these days. There is NO "price to pay" for being a royal turd.

That, combined with parents who will NOT discipline their children (there are some of those who live next door to me), create (in my opinion) a whole RACE of turd-children.

I rack my brain trying to remember, but I just can't remember any kids like these from my days...

Sure kids got lots of stuff - I am a prime offender in that respect. There ain't nothing my kids don't have. I'm SURE it is causing them to have trouble getting a balanced perspective on value and money and what is NORMAL. On the flipside, though, my WIFE doesn't even know what is NORMAL (bless her heart, she thinks that cause I spend 20 or 30 grand on toys a year that she should be able to have her dream house anytime she wants it - note: her dream house is truly a dream house...). What my kids DO have, though, is respect and discipline and manners and compassion. I am proud of my kids and very often they will pull me aside and tell me to "watch how bad Jimmy acts to his MOM" or something along those lines. They KNOW what disrespect is and know the difference in "cute" and "smartbutt"...

Feel free to defend your generation.
Tell us things that will make us feel better about today's teens. I know that I, for one, would love to know that todays kids aren't a lost cause...

Wally,

You forgot one of the most
important "treasures" the misfortunate
youth of today, could absolutely not
survive without:


CELLULAR PHONES !!!!

Twin 29, Sarcasm my friend...Sarcasm. "The first generation to have it hard" I was busting up when I wrote it. Kids today think the world owes them everything and if they dont get it, they can use a few well placed Phsycological "Buzz Words" to convince us that we have done them wrong. I say bring back "THE WOODEN SPOON" that is where we went wrong. That is exactly the point in my life when I stopped talking back. Mom and I disagreed...Out came The Wooden Spoon and as far as I was concerned, she was in the right. Its not child abuse...Its discapline. Kids today need a good smack!!! If my child talks back to me...Smack!!! If they want to call the child abuse hotline, they have to make it to the phone. Thank God I dont have kids. I say we start fixing the worlds problems today. I call out to all OSO members. When your child gets home today...Smack them, even if they didnt do anything wrong...They will. And if you dont have a child of your own, Smack the kid next door, they are probably planning on smashing your pumpkin in about 9 months anyway, get em now. Together we can change the world. I should have been a teacher!

IDRPSTF.....OMG the wooden spoon!!! LMAO!! I thought i was one of only a few kids that got the spoon!!! And once when the spoon broke during one of my moms disciplinary lessons....she got the power cord off a broken lamp!!! :eek: I tell ya....just the sight of that cord hanging ontop of the wall mounted phone(with 15' cord ext :D ) set us staright!!!! :eek:

Christmas day I met my girlfriends parents. Her Mom was telling me that she used to use "The Wooden Spoon" on her girls when they where bad. The best part was that she would paint a Happy Face on the spoon first. "Because The Wooden Spoon Dont Care!!!" I was on the floor with that one. She said when she went to sell her car the buyer lifted the back seat and found 38 Woodn Spoons with happy faces. It was the only place the gilrs could hide them. Funny stuff. She scares me a little!
My Mom drilled (Yes Mom knows how to drill) holes in her spoon "So your cheeks squeeze through"! Thats just wrong!

Mom used the wooden spoon with the hole in the middle....That did wonders on my smart-ass. Remember those???
-----------------

One instance that really got me torqued: We were in the grocery store not too long ago and in line in front of us was this obviously stressed-out mom with two snott-nosed whiney kids who wanted everything and had their hands in all they could(even others things). After a stern talking to from mom with the threat of being on "restriction" for the rest of the afternoon, the little bastard yells back that he's going to call the cops on her and she can't do that."

I'd be like, want to bet I can't do that!

I know if it was me I would have been silenced really quick.

IDRPSTF, You beet me to it. Gotta be quick around here. ;)

You guys and your wooden spoons, ;) hell my mom used whatever happened to be closest and would inflict the most pain. :eek:

I see that little princess stirred up a little hostility with more than just me. I don't feel so bad anymore for ragging on her.

The sad part to me is that I too would not want to take away the conveniences that are afforded ourselves and our children, but few of them have learned to appreciate them as we have been made to. I can only speak for myself, but I only know through stories of my parents hardships, but also know that I respect them far more than do a lot of todays youth. It truly is sad. As far as respect, I am definetly with you guys on that. I feel as you grow older you earn that respect, and I to respect my elders.

As far as dress or what have you, I could care less. I know for one that the adults when I was growing up, weren't to excited about my bell bottoms or long hair. To each his own. My kid can have purple hair and dress as a goth as long as his behavior is one of respect. Clothes don't make the person, respect and integrity most certainly do.

Oh and I'm in the 40 crowd :( .

Les

mcollinstn......well put.

I was a "good kid" who did some crazy stuff, so I got the paddle, belt, soaped mouth....etc....and it worked!!! I deserved it each time, but if A parent was to try this today he/she would be ostrisized, or even worse, arrested. I feel that the parents are to take much of the blame. Sure the kids acted poorly, but with no one to hold them accountable, what repercussion is the deterent. With no deterent, it is easier to act like a jackass than to act respectful. With no deterent, what lessons are being taught? That blame lies on authorty figures. It doesn't stop there either, I think society in general has a poor self accountability problem, doesn't seem like too big of a question as to how that has occured. Kids, of any generation, were not born disrespectful, it has been learned....someone taught them/let them get away with it.

Sorry, trying to keep it light!! I'm gonna go see how far I can ride a wheelie on my Redline dirtbike!!!.......ahhh those were the days!!

:D :D :D

You guys when I wrote that I didn’t mean that my generation has it the worse than you guys but what I was saying is that my generation has problems also there just different than your. Most of the people my age know what the wooden spoon is (I know my mom broke a few on my brother and mine hind end). My brothers and my friends’ call my parents Mr. and Mrs. C. All of my friends have respect for others. We do not go out and egg houses, smash pumpkins, steal crud, or vandalize things. Thank you Allen4 for pointing out that it is not just the kids’ fault that they have zero respect because many parents fail their jobs as parents. (Keep in mind that I am not telling you all that you are all bad parents) By the way I usually dress in a pair of nice jeans that arent low rise (because for thoes of you who dont ride horses it is impossible to ride in low rise jeans) a button up shirt/ turtle neck/sweateror a regular T-shirt. All of my outfets I wouldn't be ashamed at all to wear infront of any of ny grand parents.

Okey Little Princess, your off the hook for now!
SMACK all the other kids except her tonight!!!!!!!!!

Perv alert!!!
I thought you were a Cop, not a priest. Shes 13 or something like that.

Speaking of building forts, how many of you also had BB gun fights. :D :D :eek:

Les

Is that a serious question? Chit, if it is, I'm going to Walgreens to pick up some Geritol! :puppy:

BB gun story:

the day my older brother taught me a valuble lesson.

kid in my neighborhood that was 3 years older then me and alot bigger shot me twice in the leg (i had shorts on) with his pump as many as 30 times BB gun. hurt like hell and broke skin. i run home crying , hey i was only 8 i think and tell my older brother hoping he will go kick the guys azz. nope , instead he takes to the garage and saws off the handle to a broom. tells me to sneak up behind the guy and hit him as hard as i can. not once but at least twice. well i do like he says , caught him right above his right ear. only hit him once. the guy who thought he was tuff stuff started begging for me not to hit him again. guess what he never messed with me again.

morale of the story:
never underestimate anyone.

Those "big block heels" we called then elevator shoes, and we had chucka boots and yes, we worm bell bottoms, all this was the first time around! We jammed to transistor radios at home and later, AM in cars. Yes, I had 8 tracks. Oh and yes, I had a light blue leisure suit, big colar and (oh god, I'm going to say it) white patten leather shoes with abig fat matching white belt!!

:D :) :confused: :( :eek:

Please don’t smack me cuz pay back may hurt you more than it will hurt me. Remember like my dad says I’m a teen so I know it all. Thanks for the protection IDRPSTF but I am a few years over 13:D

Jim I think your blue suit white leather shoes and belt sound like something like my friend wor to prom last year

Funny stuff guys. Anyone remember getting whacked on the back of the hands with a ruler by the nuns (penguins) Pong was cool, but what about good all pinball machines. The ones with 2 flippers and you got 2-3 plays for .25. Not these 3 level, 6 flipper, 4 balls going at one time machines. Remember the nasty gum that came in the baseball cards. Or the closepin and baseball card on the spokes of your bike. The bike with the 6' sissy bar and bananna seats, 3 speed shifter. Or the apple, orange crate bikes. We use to cut forks off another bike and put them on our front ends to make choppers. Crome reverse wheeles or baby moons. POW braclets, friends brothers that didn't come home from Nam :( The Honda 50 trail that had the fold up handle bars that you would throw into the trunk of your car and go riding somewhre fun. Times have changed I watch TV Land with my 6 year old twins (they call it gray TV :) ). One asked me how come Opie can walk around Mayberry all by himself. Out of the minds on kids. Remember the Green Hornet, Speed Racer. I had more match box cars than I knew what to do with, than Hot wheels came out (matchbox cars on NOS) FM convertors in the car, 8 tracks. If you had a Grieg powerplay with Jensen triaxle speakers, you had it going on. Muscle cars and Custom vans. Honda 750 choppers, BSA, or Triumphs. Sunoco gas pumps that you would turn the handle for what ever octane you wanted. .45 got you a gallon of gas or a pack of cigarettes. Cable TV when they had music videos on in between HBO shows. Got to go to work thanks for the memories, it was a GREAT time.
Pete:) :cool:

How about staying uplate on Friday to watch Friday Night Videos because there was no cable.

Yup.......!!:D :D :D

Yup again!!!:D :D

We used to have so much fun as kids. Never a dull moment!! Can't get many good stories from 4 hours of video games a day!!!! Not that I don't like video games because I do, but not as a part time job like some kids do.

gmhdfn, HAHAHAHAAAAAA.......great stuff man!! Good trip down memeory lane, although your stuff is a little before my time;) ;)

Anything with wheels or mud.....that was our M.O.:D :D

Then there was the "Hot Wheels City" I used to play on. Who else used baby powder for snow on their HOt Wheels City??!!!!!

Man this post is fun, keeps bringing back memories I had long since forgotten. As I stated earlier I wouldn't take away the conveniences we have now, but it's the simple truth that todays "kids" aren't expected to use their imagination as we had to. Now it's what video do I want to play. :(

Let's see what did I used to do as a kid. I can think of a couple.

1. Build forts (already established)

2. BB gun fights (also established)

3. pellet gun fights (graduated to the big ammo, got very creative at hiding)

4. Rock fights (pre BB gun. Hhhmmm, seeing not such a good trend here.)

5. Ride your bike (EVERY WHERE) talk about being in good shape.

6. Tons of physical activities (skiing, wrestling, rugby, motocross, snowmobiling, camping, hiking, etc)

7. Summer camps with real activities like building real tomahawks with rocks and wood :eek:. And raiding the girls camp :D ;)

8. And like Allan4 said "Anything with wheels or mud". Mud was like a magnet, didn't matter what you had to play in it with, it all worked, even if it was your good school clothes . :D :eek:

9. Oh and one I nearly forgot that was one of my favorites. "King-of-the-hill". I don't mean sissy king of the hill, I mean "KING-OF-THE-HILL". never failed some one ended up going home with a broken something. In Aspen where I grew up, they would plow the playgrounds but leave these massive (atleast to a 9 yo) mounds and we would head right for them bypassing the playground equipment, and have our wars every break. Heck some of us wouldn't leave the school grounds after the day was out .

Wow looking back at this maybe the video game isn't so bad for my 7 year old.:rolleyes: :eek: .

Les

Its not protection for you! I only live 30 minutes from Temecula and I dont want you and your Asprin chomping friends having a High Scool Meltdown over something I said on the internet and showing up at my door with your long black coats and guns. Buy the way...So your not 13? Are you 5 years older than 13???:D

Just kidding, Stay In School, Stay off Drugs, Boys are bad news!!!

To bad it hasnt been on lately :(

Outfits.

I thought the same thing. Who would have guessed that grandma would get mad at a Cigarette (boats) shirt??

Prom:rolleyes: Freshman year i wore a red marina tee shirt with a hole byt the collar and blue jeans. People thought i was joking around, I didnt know it was formal!!!

Originally posted by Niuhi
Speaking of building forts, how many of you also had BB gun fights.

Les

We did that 2 weeks ago!!! 1200fps gun, 8 feet away, leaving a welt bigger than a quarter!!!! What else is fun, get a golf tee, spray the end with gasoline, put it in the end of the gun and light it and shoot at the neighbors riced out jetta!

As for bottle rocket fights, havent had any of those in to long of a time.... We would throw in 50 packs of fireworks and put them in the bonfire, i guess it turns in to a type of russian roulette.

Well, now us teens have explained it all, time for you all to explain to us about Packin Air.

IDRPSTF Temecula is one of the cleaner towns in the valley (btw five is right). to the rest of ya barely anyone uses BB guns anymore they all go for the paint ball guns and king of the hill is still popular with the kids in middle school. The most destructive thing that my friends do is seran wrap some random persons car:D

What old schoolk bands did you guys listen to back in the 1900's

Back in the 1900's
Now I feel Old!!!