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 pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

Our baby cribs were painted with brightly colored, lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib rail and probably ingested some of the paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets.

When we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.

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

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps, then rode them 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 when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were seldom overweight; we were always outside playing.

Little League had tryouts 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 or didn't work hard so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.  Self esteem was something you earned.... not something that was given to you.

That generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem solvers.