Posted by JD Seller on August 23, 2014 at 20:19:20 from (208.126.198.123):
The post about the grand parents hauling their 28 year old grandson around got me to thinking about how things seem to have changed.
I was driving around the farm as soon as I could reach the pedals. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was driving on the gravels between farms. I got my "school" permit at 14. Regular license at 16.
Did not get a car until I was married for several years. When we had to go somewhere in a car we used either my mother's car or my grand parents car. The car was always filled with gas after we drove it. If it was full when we got in it I left money for the use of the car on the seat.
My kids learned to drive just like I did. Around the farm as soon as they could reach things. Having a half mile long lane made them want to drive early. They would drive an OLD 1952 Chevy pickup out to met the school bus. This made them want to drive as the truck had a good heater. That sure beat walking out the lane and standing in the cold waiting on the bus.
Driving that old pickup taught them several things:
1) Driving a stick shift
2) Driving a vehicle without power steering.
3) Starting a engine with a manual choke
4) Starting a vehicle with a push pedal starter button on the floor. ( You sure got good at angling your feet to hold the clutch down and the brake. Plus holding the accelerator pedal half way down and hitting the started button all at the same time. While working the choke with your hand) Make fuel injection seem pretty easy. LOL
There where just a few adult people that I know that did not drive. Yes, there where a few older ladies that never drove but most did.
My one Great Uncle drove until they made you get a license. He never would go and take the written test. I suspect he could not read very well and was afraid that he may look foolish while trying to take the test. He was about the only able minded/bodied adult I knew that did not drive.
Then another major difference is how we let the kids be more independent.
My kids, daughter included, where riding their bikes all over the place at 12-13??? I mean miles away. They had friends that where 4-5 miles away on the back roads. Then we did not see anything wrong with that. I would not dream of allowing my grand daughters to do that.
At the county fair we would go as a family. As soon as we where in the main gate the older kids got a few dollars to spend and then we would not se them until lunch time. Heck when they got older and where in 4H they would spend the week at the fair with their livestock. You could sleep in the livestock barns back then. I would not feel "safe" letting any of my grand kids do that today, male or female.
Has it really gotten that unsafe for kids today??? Are we just hearing about it more since communication is so much better??? We all have heard of kids being kidnapped/abused. Is it really happening more or do we just hear about it more??? Also there are a lot more people so is the percentage the same but just happening more because of more people???
As group are we baby boomers enabling more of our kids to be lazy dependent adults??? I will admit that my youngest lived with us, with his wife and two kids, while they finished school. He is out on his own now for 4-5 years.
I don't really have any answers to these questions. I really am saddened that my kids and grand kids are not getting to grow up like I did.
P.S. I was really naïve and innocent compared to today's kids. My wife and I did not know what these kids know even after we where married for years. LOL
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