Youngsters Have It So Good

If you are a fan of my writings, you are well aware of where I work. Part of their morning show involves what is known as the Watercooler Question of the Day.

A recent question asked viewers about a plan for the government to ban spanking. While I won't go into that insane prospect (it reminds me of a "plan" to abolish all laws except for the 10 Commandments -- how do you enforce "Honor your father and your mother"?), some of the answers received talked about how they got spanked as children and they turned out as good, law-abiding citizens.

It reminded me of an e-mail I received about why people over 30 should all be dead anyway. And since some of my friends are soon to reach that age -- or whizzing past it -- I thought I would share it with you.

This is the e-mail:

People over 30 should be dead and here's why:

Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored 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 the risks we took hitchhiking.)

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

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

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

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

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

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode 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 street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day -- NO CELL PHONES!!!!!

We had friends! We went outside and found them.

We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents because they were just accidents.

No one was to blame but us.

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over 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 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.

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, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.

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

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

People under 30 are WIMPS !

Thus endeth the e-mail.

I can honestly say I did most of those things when I was a kid. I didn't eat the worms though and I'm glad that some of those things will never happen to children again.

It was a different world back then … better in some ways, but today is just as great. You just have to be able to adapt.

I told my wife that I'm a 42-year-old guy with the mileage of an 85-year-old man.. and the mentality of a 12-year-old. She agreed with me. I was trying to be sarcastic! Oh, boy. Do I need to take better care of my body or "age" my personality? Nah. I think I'll continue to push the envelope and giggle as I do it. And how many grown men do you know that will admit to giggling? I'm not normal! "The girl on the seesaw is laughing/4 love is the color/This place imparts"

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.