How things are and How things were

I received the following two "reflections" with a Xmas card today and thought they were worth sharing.


THE GREETING CARD

All I wanted to say was "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year".....
But, in view of our litigious society these days, I thought I should run it past my solicitor. This is how he suggested I re-word the greeting!!!

From me ("the wishor") to you ("the wishee"). Please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally-conscious, socially-responsible, politically-correct, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, celebration of the summer solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practise religious or secular traditions at all.

I wish you a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:-
This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal. This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledges.

This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.

Any references in this greeting to "the Lord", "Father Christmas", "Our Saviour", "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.

This greeting is made under Australian Law.

Seasons Greetings




I CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE IT !

A little reality for all of us. If you lived as a child in the 40's, 50's, 60's or 70's, looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickuptruck on a warm day was always a special treat. Our baby cribs were covered with bright coloured lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets - not to mention hitchhiking to town as a youngster! We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back in time for tea. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable. We played rounders and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We got cut and broke bones and broke teeth, and there were no law suits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learnt to get over it. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank cordial but we were never overweight...we were always outside playing. We shared one lemonade fizzy with four friends, from one bottle, and no one died from this. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, video games at all 99 channels on cable, video tapes or DVD, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, Internet chat rooms ..... we had friends.

We went outside and found them. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them, or played board games, did jigsaw puzzles. Imagine such a thing. Without asking a parent! By ourselves! Out there in the cold cruel world! Without a guardian. How did we do it? We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever. We tried out for school sports teams and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment ....

Some students weren't as smart as others so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade - horrors. Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. No one to hide behind. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. Parents actually sided with the law, imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years has been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

Please pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.




Julia

Off the Christmas topic but still very relevant to your post...

Oh how I would like to see a return to a world where commonsense prevailed.

A world where people injured themselves somehow and called an ambulance, not a lawyer.

A world where people accepted that everything they do has consequences and took personal responsibility for those consequences.

A world where those who can't be bothered servicing their car accept that it's their own fault when the engine blows rather than blaming the manufacturer for not explaining why the car needed regular servicing.

A world where people aged in their 30's were smart enough to know that buying a house right next to a fire station will mean that you hear fire engines and sirens at all times of the day and didn't try and shut down the fire brigade (!) to ensure their own peaceful sleep.

A world where those aged in their early 20's were smart enough to know that living beside a major road in an inner city suburb directly opposide a large nightclub is unlikely to be peaceful. A world where they simply moved once they realised they had made a mistake in choosing to live there.

A world where people tripping over on uneven footpaths accepted that they should have looked where they were going rather than calling their lawyer after the injury.

A world where people didn't lobby the council to force the demolition of a skateboard ramp that kids had built in the backyard because the wheels make a noise in the afternoon after school. A world where people thought "good, they're getting some exercise so I'm happy to put up with a bit of noise at 4 o'clock in the afternoon" rather than "I have a right to my peace and quiet".

In short, more thinking and less yelling and screaming when it goes wrong because you failed to think first. A world with more thinking about the comminity as a whole and less thinking about how to make a bit more profit at any cost. If only...

choice of computer platform or sexual preference !!!

i know people who dont recognise any difference between these two - their computer is their preference....

Saw this on another forum a few days back. In much the same vein.



FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: 4th November 2004
RE: Christmas Party

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on
December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill
House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small
band playing traditional carols...please feel free to sing along. And don't
be surprised if the MD shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree
will be lit at 1.00p.m.. Exchange of gifts
among employees can be done at that time, however, no gift should be over
£10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This
gathering is only for employees! The MD will make a special announce ment
at the Party.

Merry Christmas to you and your Family.

Pauline


FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: 5th November 2004
RE: Holiday Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We
recognise that Chanukah is an important holiday, which often coincides with
Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're
calling it our 'Holiday Party'.. The same policy applies to any other
employees who are not Christians. There will be no Christmas tree or
Christmas carols sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.

Happy now?

Happy Holidays to you and your family,

Pauline.


FROM; Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: 6th No vember 2004
RE: Holiday! Party < BR>
Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
requesting a non-drinking table...you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to
accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA
Only", you wouldn't be anonymous anymore!!!! How am I supposed to handle
this? Somebody? Forget about the gift exchange, no gift exchange allowed
now since the Union Officials feel that £10.00 is too much money and
Management believe £10.00 is a little cheap. NO GIFT EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.

Pauline.


FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: 7th November 2004
RE: Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during
daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a
luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees'

beliefs, perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until
the end of the party - or else package everything up for you to take home
in a little foil doggy bag. Will that work? Meanwhile, I've arranged for
members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet and
pregnant women will get the table closest to the toilets, Gays are allowed
to sit with each other, Lesbians do not have to sit with gay men, each will
have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangements for the gay
men's table too. To the person asking permission to cross dress - no cross
dressing allowed. We will have booster seats for short people. Low fat food
will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in
the food we suggest those people with high blood pressure taste the food
first.. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant
cannot supply "No Sugar" desserts. Sorry! Did I miss anything?!?!?!?!?!

Pauline.


FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F****** Employees
! DATE: 8 November 2004
RE: The ******** Holiday Party.

Vegetarian pricks I've had it with you people !!! We're going to keep this
party at the Grill House
whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest
from the "grill of death", as you so quaintly put it, you'll get your
f****** salad bar, including organic tomatoes, But you know tomatoes have
feeling too, They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm
hearing the scream right NOW!! I hope you all have a rotten holiday, drink
drive and die.

The Bitch from HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


FROM: John Bishop - Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: 9th November 2004
RE: Pauline Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Pauline Lewis a speedy recovery,
and I'll continue to forward your cards to her. In the meantime, the
Management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and instead, gi ve
everyone the afternoon of the 23rd December off with full pay.

Hey Pauline I suppose having it at the local lapdancing joint is out of the question?
Steve

Steve
Please Explain!!
Pauline

For me ... I am glad I grew up in in a less complicated world. Also glad to have lived through the amazing changes that technology has provided.

Disappointed to see the following generations somehow lacking the experiences of a simpler transition from childhood to adulthood.

Mystified at how today's electronic gadgets with a screen and a keypad have totally imprisoned our youth and trapped them in a world of virtual experiences.

Roland, I've sometimes thought the same, but they seem quite able to maintain social relationships at the same time.

The one thing I do find a bit sad is the large number of teenagers and young adults who don't read any books for pleasure. It's no wonder the English language is taking such a hit when the texting isn't balanced by the consumption of some well constructed prose.

And yep, I know this sounds very fuddy duddy (jeez they won't even know what that expression means!) to you 20 year olds.

Julia, most of that second relfection will apply to anyone who grew up in the 80's, or even early 90's. We all played outside, built tree houses, go-carts, rode my bike everywhere, played board-games, and most kids didn't have nintendos.

We did chores for people to earn some money which was spent at the local corner shop, we were held back in school, we had laborous detention, we were spanked if naughty, we fought at school (without parents pressing charges) etc etc.

Then the world changed when the Playstation, mobile phones and internet became big in the mid-late 90's. Childhood would change forever. A good chunk of Gen-Y can relate more than many of you realise .

Julia said:

before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.
Julia

Click to expand...

Can you imagine a world without lawyers!

Mr J said:

Julia, most of that second relfection will apply to anyone who grew up in the 80's, or even early 90's. We all played outside, built tree houses, go-carts, rode my bike everywhere, played board-games, and most kids didn't have nintendos.

We did chores for people to earn some money which was spent at the local corner shop, we were held back in school, we had laborous detention, we were spanked if naughty, we fought at school (without parents pressing charges) etc etc.

Then the world changed when the Playstation, mobile phones and internet became big in the mid-late 90's. Childhood would change forever. A good chunk of Gen-Y can relate more than many of you realise .

Click to expand...

I think a lot of it comes down to money.

Video games were around in the early 1980's - the Atari was the most popular console but there were others. I'm not sure of the exact price, but it was certainly a significant purchase decision to buy one.

Same with a lot of other things - it was common to rent, not buy, VHS machines simply because they were far too expensive for many people to buy outright. And for those who did buy, of course they got it fixed if something went wrong.

Same with just about everything. The technology was more primiative but in most cases it existed - mobile phones have been in Australia since 1987. But read any article about them prior to the late-1990's and it was all about the cost of the service and how well the phone actually worked. Nobody gave a damn about how it looked. And of course most people couldn't afford to have one, so they didn't.

For the same reason it wasn't at all uncommon to find children in late primary school who had never been out of their home state. Holidays meant loading up the car and driving there. Yes there were airlines, but fares were far more expensive than they are today. Getting on a plane was a major ordeal for most not because of anything physical, but simply due to the cost.

And of if you wanted a loan for any of this then there were two issues. First, you made an appointment to speak face to face with the bank manger and dressed appropriately for the occasion. And secondly, the bank manager would be somewhat shocked the moment they realised you were going to blow it on anything that didn't have lasting value. Just because you got an appointment, certainly didn't mean you'd be given a loan.

Fast forward to 2010 and a few day's pay will get you just about any of the modern electronic gadgets. And you don't even have to go anywhere near the bank to get finance. Press a few buttons and you walk out of the shop with your purchase, it's no big deal buying the latest gadgets these days.

There's a LOT more money around now, relative to the cost of all these things, hence they are far more common. It wasn't that long ago that a washing machine, TV or any item of furniture was a major household purchase. But now anything other than a car or the house itself is available at prices that, to anyone who has been around a few years, seem incredibly low in relation to wages.

"When I were a lad, Ma mum would send me down to da corner store wiv' a dollar, and I'd come back wiv' five pounds o' potatoes, two loaves o' bread, three pints o' milk, a pound o' cheese, a packet o' tea, an' 'alf a dozen eggs.



Yer can't do that now..............................




too many ****** security cameras."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmp!

Mar 09 i could walk into any fireworks store in Tasmania and buy Non permit fireworks by the ute full.

Jan10 now not allowed to sell over the counter to general public.

Not impressed and will now have to a holiday in the NT so i can indulge my juvenile urges.





Happy oz day

What, you missed out on the great fireworks buy up late last year before the ban? A few mates each spent $ hundreds on them.

It was even more fun 20 years ago though when they used to sell them just about everywhere. I still remember quite well the tables set up in the hall area of Northgate etc until that was banned circa 1990.

Wah Julia, youv'e certainly opened up an interesting thread.

We called it the good old days!

The days when we sat beside the radio to listen to Dad and Dave and Smokey Dawson 6.30-7 pm. and if your homework was not done the radio was turned off.

The days up untill you were 21 you had to be home from a dance by midnight or you were grounded for two weeks. Plenty of parties in our teens with out grog and we still had some great times.

My first job as an apprentice plumber gained me one pound one and nine pence ($2.19) for the week. Ten shillings ($1.00) home board per week, three shillings ($0.30) per week for tram fares to get to work and the equivalent of $0.89 cents pocket money. A haircut was 9 pence and one went to the pictures on Saturday afternoon for 6 pence.

Th police Sargent in the area (Slam) Sulliven was as Irish as Paddy's pig and would be around the local streets on his push bike at night. He new most of the families in the district and if he caught you in the street at 9.30 pm at night, he would say in his Irish tongue "whata do'in oit this tame of night" and if did not give him the right answer he would be around home the next day.

I could go on and on, but for our youthful citazens it might become a bit tardy.

Oh yes, how times have changed.

Shamelessly stolen from an email I received recently:

FOR THOSE BORN IN THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !

First, some of us survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 5.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, No video/dvd films, No mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL !

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Click to expand...

I did not think of any migrant as possible sleeper.
I did not worry that I might get blown up going about my business (yet to come to Australia, but I worry about it already)
I did not have to look hard to find Australian products on Woollies or Coles shelves
I did not have Prime Minister that was bent on saving the World, yet doing nothing to shorten hospital queues.
I did see faces of criminals in papers and TV
I did not have to jump on humps that now seem to be part of the road design nor I had 8 or 9 different speed limits that can change within few hundred metres.

Probably few more, but I feel that all I can do now is think, as even saying things or typing on this Forum can land me in trouble.

And you didn't have to put up with whinging old farts on the Internet talking about the "good old days" :

Mr J said:

Then the world changed when the Playstation, mobile phones and internet became big in the mid-late 90's. Childhood would change forever. A good chunk of Gen-Y can relate more than many of you realise .

Click to expand...

I agree. I can relate to a lot of it and I am only 24. I think the so called "Gen-Y" should be split into two, as i don't think this generational shift is given enough credit. In my experience people born after about 1990 would relate to this less, with the ubiquity of mobile phones and the internet getting them at an earlier age.

Was driving along the other day and thought about an old piece of equipment that every backyard had 30 years ago, if you had one now you would probably be hung, drawn and quartered (in Perth). An incinerator. Cant say I have seen one for ages, but probably still around in some communities.

Reminds me of old Guy Fawkes night, which was such a wonderful community event, being allowed to see you mates up the road late on a balmy November night. The things we celebrated back then. Perth stopped the night in the late 60s from memory.