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Once, when we were young, we were free
When we were kids we were physically stronger than kids are now. We were physically fitter too. We were tougher. We had to be to get by.
When we were kids, if we became sick, we recovered naturally and without drugs.
When we were kids we all contracted measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, and we recovered naturally and without drugs.
When we were kids we hadn't been vaccinated 30 times before we were 6 months old.
When we were kids there were no childhood “conditions” like ADHD or bipolar, and we certainly didn’t take any brain drugs.
When we were kids the idea of us going to a psychiatrist would have been absurd.
When we were kids we didn’t ask for any protection and we weren’t given much, and we survived.
School wasn’t some kind of social laboratory or baby-sitting service. We were there to learn, and if we paid attention, we did.
When we were kids, if we became sick, we recovered naturally and without drugs.
When we were kids we all contracted measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, and we recovered naturally and without drugs.
When we were kids we hadn't been vaccinated 30 times before we were 6 months old.
When we were kids there were no childhood “conditions” like ADHD or bipolar, and we certainly didn’t take any brain drugs.
When we were kids the idea of us going to a psychiatrist would have been absurd.
When we were kids we didn’t ask for any protection and we weren’t given much, and we survived.
School wasn’t some kind of social laboratory or baby-sitting service. We were there to learn, and if we paid attention, we did.
Sex was a private issue. We were taught about that at home or by friends or not at all. We certainly didn’t learn about it in school. That would have been ridiculous.
We learned not to interfere in other peoples business, to mind our own business. To live and let live.
We had a tiny amount of pocket money from our parents.
We earned some money for ourselves by delivering newspapers, or picking crops for the farmer in summer.
So we treated our possessions with care because we knew the cost/value.
If something was broken then, if possible, we fixed it.
We never threw things away, unless they were completely worn out or unable to be fixed.
We had very few "toys". And what we did have was usually home made and treasured.
When we played games, adults weren’t hovering or coaching every move we made.
We found places to play on our own away from adults, and we figured it all out.
We refereed ourselves. There were no adults involved. The whole group voiced its opinion, the older, more experienced, kids voices counted for more. And the decision was reached by agreement, usually.
We very rarely came to blows over the game because that would spoil, or even end, the game. Which none of us wanted.
There were winners and losers. There were no plastic trophies. We played one game, then another. We lost, we won. We competed.
We always wanted to win but losing wasn’t a problem, usually.
We found places to play on our own away from adults, and we figured it all out.
We refereed ourselves. There were no adults involved. The whole group voiced its opinion, the older, more experienced, kids voices counted for more. And the decision was reached by agreement, usually.
We very rarely came to blows over the game because that would spoil, or even end, the game. Which none of us wanted.
There were winners and losers. There were no plastic trophies. We played one game, then another. We lost, we won. We competed.
We always wanted to win but losing wasn’t a problem, usually.
People were who they were. They had lives and personalities. They had eccentricities that everyone accepted, usually.
We never thought about "diversity" even though in many ways there was far more real diversity then. Because there was no pressure to conform to any "standard" like there is now.
There was no "Health and Safety" to make us all conform either. People were free to be themselves. To take their own risks and to bear the consequences.
We never thought about "diversity" even though in many ways there was far more real diversity then. Because there was no pressure to conform to any "standard" like there is now.
There was no "Health and Safety" to make us all conform either. People were free to be themselves. To take their own risks and to bear the consequences.
We wanted to be apart from adults and we mainly were.
Adults wanted to be apart from us too. We were sometimes told to "go out and play". So we did.
So we took our own risks using our own judgement. We used our common sense and sometimes we misjudged, but we always accepted the consequences.
We were rarely hurt, but if we were then we learned our lesson.
Our parents didn't consult us about what we wanted to eat. We were given our food and we ate it, or we went hungry.
Most of us ate everything that we were given.
We never threw food away, that would have been seen as stupid.
Most of what we ate was fresh, and prepared at home.
We didn't have junk food, it barely existed.
We didn't have any "snacks" only meals which we always ate as a family.
There were hardly any fat kids, or adults.
Adults wanted to be apart from us too. We were sometimes told to "go out and play". So we did.
So we took our own risks using our own judgement. We used our common sense and sometimes we misjudged, but we always accepted the consequences.
We were rarely hurt, but if we were then we learned our lesson.
Our parents didn't consult us about what we wanted to eat. We were given our food and we ate it, or we went hungry.
Most of us ate everything that we were given.
We never threw food away, that would have been seen as stupid.
Most of what we ate was fresh, and prepared at home.
We didn't have junk food, it barely existed.
We didn't have any "snacks" only meals which we always ate as a family.
There were hardly any fat kids, or adults.
Our parents didn’t usually consult us about what we "wanted".
We weren’t part of the decision-making process.
They didn’t need us for that. We didn't care either.
We just wanted to be left alone by adults and, mostly, we were.
We were usually with other kids and we felt safe as a result.
If you wanted a spot to be alone, you found one for yourself, and you still felt safe.
We weren’t part of the decision-making process.
They didn’t need us for that. We didn't care either.
We just wanted to be left alone by adults and, mostly, we were.
We were usually with other kids and we felt safe as a result.
If you wanted a spot to be alone, you found one for yourself, and you still felt safe.
No one asked us about our feelings. If they had, we would have been confused. Feelings? What’s that?
We were alive. We knew it. We didn’t need anything else.
We were alive. We knew it. We didn’t need anything else.
Kids didn’t display their possessions like signs of their identity. A kid who did was ignored, even shunned.
We had few clothes, our "best" and our "playing out", plus some spares.
Here is my bro with me in the middle and our little friend David on the right. We are wearing our "playing out" clothes. Notice the heavily tanned knees; we were always outdoors.
David had toys that his, mostly absent, father bought for him to try and buy his affection.
Our father was strict with us, but he loved us, and we knew it. He was always there but he didn't buy us toys or sweets.
We knew who was the better off. We felt sorry for David.
We had few clothes, our "best" and our "playing out", plus some spares.
Here is my bro with me in the middle and our little friend David on the right. We are wearing our "playing out" clothes. Notice the heavily tanned knees; we were always outdoors.
David had toys that his, mostly absent, father bought for him to try and buy his affection.
Our father was strict with us, but he loved us, and we knew it. He was always there but he didn't buy us toys or sweets.
We knew who was the better off. We felt sorry for David.
Kids never acted like little adults. We didn’t dress like little adults. We didn’t want to be like adults.
We could spot liars a mile away. We could spot phonies from across town.
We knew who the really crazy adults were, and we stayed away from them.
We knew who the really crazy adults were, and we stayed away from them.
We didn’t need gadgets and machines to be happy. We only needed a place to play away from adults.
When we were kids we were independent and we were mostly unsupervised.
When we were kids we had no television to tell us what to think or to mesmerize us. So we used our imaginations which were vivid.
When we were kids we thought for ourselves and worked it out for ourselves. We schemed and we planned for ourselves. We didn't need adults to do that for us.
When we were kids the number of friends we had didn’t matter. We didn’t keep count. That would have been recognized immediately as a form of insanity.
When we were kids we lived in an analogue world, and most people were much more connected to nature then. We spent most of our time outdoors when not at school.
When we were kids we lived in a do-it-yourself world, and most people were much more self reliant then. We didn't receive "support". We had to do it for ourselves, so we did.
We were alive.
We were happy.
We were free.
That was enough.
We were happy.
We were free.
That was enough.
It still is.
Children's bonus feature. The real Queens speech for Xmas 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDO1JfZ3aRI
Inspirational source:
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/once-when-we-were-free-2/
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