Growing up in Australia - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

KenOath · 08-14-2002, 17:33

GROWING UP IN AUSTRALIA.................

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. British
bulldog 1-2-3, go home stay home, 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 fags was really cool.

Wait....... Watching Saturday morning cartoons...short commercials, The Thunderbirds (if you got up reeeeeally early), the Smurfs, AstroBoy, He-Man, Captain Caveman, Archie, Jem (truly outrageous!!) 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. 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.

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 mtorcycle... eating raw jelly, making homemade lemonade and sucking on a Funny Face red Freeza.

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 Chinese restaurant 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 Grand parents were a much bigger threat! Some of us are still afraid of them!!!

Didn't that feel good?

Just to go back and say, yeah, I remember that!

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, and 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.

If you can remember most of these, then you have LIVED!!

carazy · 08-14-2002, 18:27

Mate I'm only 21 and i remeber all that stuff. Really sad how society has died in the arse the last 10years. Now noone gives a toss, playing is now watching tv or playing console games, your mums never home if your a kid now and she really doesn't care if you got in the shit at school anymore.
If you talk to someone elses kids or try to tell them off it will land you in court.
I just hope this is all just a socilogical phase and I'll live to see it swing back again. It's all about respect now days and no one has respect for anything. I'll be making sure my kids fear AND love me and not one or the other.

John McMaster · 08-14-2002, 20:01

I REMEMBER all too well, what a better world it was,if only we could go back in time to show our kids. The good old days!!

Blurter · 08-14-2002, 20:15

Remember.....

Corgi and Dinky cars, I had heaps of em,
the train set,
balsa gliders,
toys that made you think not RSI, and you were oh so grateful to get them,
getting your first bike in 6th class so that you could ride to high school,
catching the train at all hours with no problems,
a big day out was to go to the city or the zoo with your Mum and Nana,
pantomines and other christmas goodies at all the major department stores......

Great post Ken

Venom XR · 08-15-2002, 01:07

So many good memories in that lot!

eb_5litre · 08-15-2002, 02:18

How about decent fuel and lax emissions laws.

XR_Strider_GuY · 08-15-2002, 03:08

Ahhhhhhh the memories, geez i can relate to alot of that. Bulldog 1 2 3 traditional game of champions in primary school.

EL-Phat · 08-15-2002, 07:54

Mate u made my day....

They were the days. No doubt about it.

Now all i have to look forwards to is the weekend (beer and ladies) hahahaha

FM · 08-15-2002, 15:27

Scary when you used to think you had things to worry about back then.
Rekindled some great memories here..

TE50 1 · 08-15-2002, 16:54

Someone invent a time machine and lets go back there.

Great Post Ken many many memories for TE50 1