[PA Engineer]

As kids we entertained ourselves and NEVER needed anything else.

We grew up in a new development surrounded by woods in suburban Pittsburgh.

We would head to the football field (real football), join up with other friends in the woods, ride our bikes until we didn't know where we were, walk to swim practice in the morning, build forts, dams, and go carts. All of these things we did after morning chores.

We never once feared for our safety (well maybe after the string broke on the tire swing over the ravine), and we had absolute freedom to explore and build skills for later life.

TV was not part of the schedule. We just didn't watch that much. We had more choice in Pittsburgh because we had 5 stations, but it just wasn't part of our childhood culture. At least with the TV we watched, there were no commercials for lawyers, pharmaceuticals and yeast infections!

It was a different time. It was the perfect time to grow up. We lost a very important part of our society. Childhood.

[crz]

Remember when some kid broke an arm? Heck, that was a way of life. Nobody even gave it a second thought. The kid who broke the arm would be back at it in a few days. If he wasnt, he might be called a sissy.

The Ol Man used to haul us out in the woods to peel popple. It all went OK till we got to screwing around and getting into stick fights and what not. He decided that 10 am was quiting time after a while so we could get it out of our system.

Oh and if we found a hornets nest? OH MAN, that was great fun. Just had to have a good go at those. That was the ultimate.