The Good Ol' Days

I received this mail in my inbox from SistaSue today....makes for some seriously nostalgic reading - thanks girl !

I shared it with Sugan, while munching on a kebaab bunny chow, and his reaction and reminiscing resulted in me posting it here - I know some of my buddies prefer not to receive mass email in their inboxes, but I'm positive they would all (KayCee included) enjoy this....


"Just take a few minutes, sit back with the ole' days!!!

The good ole' days... I’m talking about the time of....Hide and Seek in the park...or the dark...or anywhere. The tearoom down the road, Marbles, Donkey, skipping and handstands, backyard cricket with a tomato box, house-house game, 5 stones, jumping the river, building a swing from a piece of rope tied to a tree, tennis on the street or swing ball in the backyard, Black Shoe black Shoe, Ing Ching China Mina, My name is Cane, Four Corners, Crocodile, Open Gates, Hoopoo, Gully Gundha, Mercy, Slides & climbing trees.

Remember when there was a season for everything, before play stations and cartoon networks, computers... The sound of the fish or fruit & veg vendor in his van. Wicks bubble gum for a cent! Chappies, Roller-skates, BMX, go carts

Wait, can you still remember...

Getting up at 3 in the morning, sitting under a blanket at the back of a bakkie to spend the day at Park renie, illovo beach or midmar dam?

When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere, and your ma made you "dress up" for the trip. Going to town to do Christmas shopping. Peeling skin in summer. Sticky fingers and sand in and on everything Marbles, yo-yo's, tops, kites...

Walking to school - no matter what the weather and too embarrassed to wear a raincoat. Walking home and spending the bus fare. 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. Being tired from playing... Remember that? The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Paper water bombs and Slingaberry cotters were the ultimate weapon. A piece of card in the spokes held by a clothes peg transformed any Bicycle into a motorcycle. I'm not finished just yet...... Can you still taste and smell... eating egg sweets and jellytots, Ice lollies made from cold drink in Tupperware holders in the freezer. Licking the spoon when cakes were baked.......... Camping in a tent (with no electricity) was not an option. Marshmallow fish and mice.

Remember when... There were two types of takkies - North Star and the canvas ones, and the only time you wore them at school, was for "PE" in your white shorts and ..... Startrek, A team, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Gummie Bears, The Lone Ranger, Bravestar... It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends, if you're a boy its ok for a girl to be your bestfriend and vice versa, you knew everyone in the road, even their cousins were your friends. Nobody owned a pedigree dog! 25 cents was decent pocket money. When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there, and you could get a hiding from any of them!

And you got another if you went crying to your mom!!! Remember how we used to catch tadpoles in the canal & not worry about the germs we might pick up? When it was considered a great privilege and very unusual to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant or in a proper hotel.

Remember when it was an outing to go to Wimpy. (woooooooooowwwwwww)

When watching spaghetti westerns or karate movie in the art room on Friday afternoon was the highlight of the week? And trying the moves out when the movie was done!!! Or when on the rare occasion your father bought Kentucky?

Remember how we used to lie on the grass & eat mango and chilli powder or bhor and figs.

Remember when any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When being sent to the head master'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 muggings, drugs, gangs, etc... Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat....and 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."
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Nix!" A "race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money was handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly". Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a BIC pen, pea shooter or a "kettie". Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C, Milk of Magnesia Or a spoonful of castor oil. Ice cream was considered a basic food group. Skills and courage were discovered because of a "dare". Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest Protectors

If you can remember most or all of these, then....

YOU HAVE LIVED!!!! "