Going out on a limb

[Zedder]

Grew up in a rural town, played war, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, carried "six shooters" on our hips in quick draw holsters, fell out of trees, chased (and got chased by!) the bulls in the back paddock.

Went fishing and camping, if you were home in daylight it was cause you were sick.

If you were being a dick, the bloke next door (or the local cop) would give you a kick up the arse, and then tell your old man who would immediately give you another.Didn't have a plethora of axe murderers back then.........

Learned how to make trollies ( not get trollied!), a usefull pushbike out of bits of other bikes, graduated to cars, up the drive on a saturday arvo, pull the gearbox fron the old EH, fit the clutch and pressure plate we got from the old car wreaker that morning, and go cruising saturday night.

Then you have 3 ankle biters under five, a mortgage, a job you cannot afford to lose, never any money so you go without untill you have a lucky month with extra shifts, so busy having a life you don't care about the obsessive/compulsion causing gaming stuff.

We are communicating via the internet, yet that is exactly one of the major causes of the way the kids grow up and the way the world now functions. The internet has made the world smaller, but it has created greed/want/disenchantment in our youth, that has no cure.

As kids, we had fuck all, but didn't know it, and never went about harbouring resentment, and being fucksticks like they are now.

Kinda sucks, the good old days, were actually just that!

The village theory worked when the world was a better, less selfish place, now your village is say, South Auckland, you are fucked.

Untill you take away the net, alcohol, the benefit, the ability to finance stuff, it is all downhill from here.

Untill teachers have authority given back them, untill the cops catch fucksticks and the system actually punishes them, untill parents are made party to their childrens activitys, it is all downhill from here,

When I am old, (SHUT UP!) and am sitting in my rocking chair in the late afternoon sun, I will remember the day we learned how to tickle a trout, I will remember riding and crashing the first pushbike I built myself,

The youth of today will remember the day they got past level 647 on grand theft wargame something or other.

I liked the OP's story, it reminded me of a better time, now gone, and will never be matched.

No arguments there.

[Karl08]

I still teach people the fine art of how to make and play Fireball Soccer- last time was 5 months ago. There will be many more to come!

Nothing like kicking round a flaming ball of chicken wire and hessian- Dept of Labour and PC wowsers be damned!

[nighthawk]

What about sky rocket wars, we would buy hundreds of penny rockets and other now illegal fireworks and loose mayhem on each other, not the neighbourhood or defenceless animals(there were unwritten rules and nobody broke them)because Mr plod had a big boot and dad had a bigger one.
No one lost an eye or got hurt, and nothing got burnt down,plenty of bruises and the odd scorch mark but nothing more.

[Zedder]

I still teach people the fine art of how to make and play Fireball Soccer- last time was 5 months ago. There will be many more to come!

Nothing like kicking round a flaming ball of chicken wire and hessian- Dept of Labour and PC wowsers be damned!

Lol, you're an evil person.

That reminds me of an NZ kindergarten I read about a while back (in ChCh I think) where there was no PC or OSH crap. The kids did "really dangerous" things like riding trollies down ramps etc.

Parents were lining up to get their kids in the place.

[Karl08]

There is also a school which has a similar approach (I think in the Hawkes Bay) Which received publicity because it encouraged "old fashioned" play for boys.

There are a few sensible people left in NZ

[Zedder]

There is also a school which has a similar approach (I think in the Hawkes Bay) Which received publicity because it encouraged "old fashioned" play for boys.

There are a few sensible people left in NZ

It certainly gives me some hope.

[Genestho]

Grew up in a rural town, played war, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, carried "six shooters" on our hips in quick draw holsters, fell out of trees, chased (and got chased by!) the bulls in the back paddock.

Went fishing and camping, if you were home in daylight it was cause you were sick.

If you were being a dick, the bloke next door (or the local cop) would give you a kick up the arse, and then tell your old man who would immediately give you another.Didn't have a plethora of axe murderers back then.........

Learned how to make trollies ( not get trollied!), a usefull pushbike out of bits of other bikes, graduated to cars, up the drive on a saturday arvo, pull the gearbox fron the old EH, fit the clutch and pressure plate we got from the old car wreaker that morning, and go cruising saturday night.

Then you have 3 ankle biters under five, a mortgage, a job you cannot afford to lose, never any money so you go without untill you have a lucky month with extra shifts, so busy having a life you don't care about the obsessive/compulsion causing gaming stuff.

We are communicating via the internet, yet that is exactly one of the major causes of the way the kids grow up and the way the world now functions. The internet has made the world smaller, but it has created greed/want/disenchantment in our youth, that has no cure.

As kids, we had fuck all, but didn't know it, and never went about harbouring resentment, and being fucksticks like they are now.

Kinda sucks, the good old days, were actually just that!

The village theory worked when the world was a better, less selfish place, now your village is say, South Auckland, you are fucked.

Untill you take away the net, alcohol, the benefit, the ability to finance stuff, it is all downhill from here.

Untill teachers have authority given back them, untill the cops catch fucksticks and the system actually punishes them, untill parents are made party to their childrens activitys, it is all downhill from here,

When I am old, (SHUT UP!) and am sitting in my rocking chair in the late afternoon sun, I will remember the day we learned how to tickle a trout, I will remember riding and crashing the first pushbike I built myself,

The youth of today will remember the day they got past level 647 on grand theft wargame something or other.

I liked the OP's story, it reminded me of a better time, now gone, and will never be matched.

Yeah, great story OP!
I agree with your point things have really changed, parental styles have changed from enabling kids to take responsibility for their actions to making excuses..

There is a general sense of born entitlement, the internet has changed everything and 'knows all', despite our mama's telling us to never believe everything that you read and the freedom and attitude aspect is so different; compared to biking anywhere and exploring, disappearing until dark, in bare feet... ahh

I do believe there are still huge pockets of NZ where the simple life still exists, the community still kicks butt, 'village' styles and look out for each other and the good times are still, for free. Do not despair... Although it's up to us to keep it rolling.

I raise kids on my own but, am blessed that my direct community are there for us and I, them and theirs.

FYI! I made my own slingshots, push-biked for miles and miles exploring creeks, climbing trees, bull-rush, riding on the backs of ute's, trampolines without nets etc, helped dig lawn area for massive huts and dugouts with the local mob of kids with bits n pieces from the local tip, sold home made lemonade and lol, home made perfume from roses and expensive perfume that I'd helped myself to (boy did I get a walloping for that!!) out on the street to the kind neighbours for pocket money, progressing to a paper then milk run, weeeeeeeeeeee fun times!

Sure seems like we were luckier and learned more than the young ones today. Ohhh, I feel old

[Padmei]

yep all good but as I harp on to everyone - we're the ones that have changed it - Not our kids- Not our parents -US!
Our generation has become the PC one - we are the ones guilted into following the party line when it comes to safety for our kids.

We can't blame our kids for what is happening to our society - we are in charge of it. Don't go blaming anyone else but ourselves. I try to buck the system when I feel it necessary to retain a bit of idiotcracy with my kids.

(BTW if i had an ipad/internet etc when I was a kid I sure as hell would have wanted to play it all day - only the rich kids had the 'pong' game machine plugged into their phillips K9s - kids want instant gratification, something i think that hasn't changed over time)

[Genestho]

yep all good but as I harp on to everyone - we're the ones that have changed it - Not our kids- Not our parents -US!
Our generation has become the PC one - we are the ones guilted into following the party line when it comes to safety for our kids.

We can't blame our kids for what is happening to our society - we are in charge of it. Don't go blaming anyone else but ourselves. I try to buck the system when I feel it necessary to retain a bit of idiotcracy with my kids.

(BTW if i had an ipad/internet etc when I was a kid I sure as hell would have wanted to play it all day - only the rich kids had the 'pong' game machine plugged into their phillips K9s - kids want instant gratification, something i think that hasn't changed over time)

Well said, sir! Agreed as per bling

Must say though..

Addressing the freedom factor, the last thing on my mind as a kid, was worrying about whether I'd be snatched as happened in my suburb, recently.
Three attempts and know two of the kids - just before school finished for the year. Not that these things didn't happen then, but seems a bit more prevalent now.. Everything else I suppose is or should be common sense, only seems it's not so common, now.........



Everything's changed and you're right, it's our own fault...

[schrodingers cat]

yep all good but as I harp on to everyone - we're the ones that have changed it - Not our kids- Not our parents -US!
Our generation has become the PC one - we are the ones guilted into following the party line when it comes to safety for our kids.

We can't blame our kids for what is happening to our society - we are in charge of it. Don't go blaming anyone else but ourselves. I try to buck the system when I feel it necessary to retain a bit of idiotcracy with my kids.

Not me bro. I don't have kids and won't be any time soon.
I am however 'favorite uncle' and recently upped the stakes by giving a 0.166 gas powered Walther PPK Tacticle to my 14yr old nephew for Xmas

Good times

[Road kill]

Well said, sir! Agreed as per bling

Must say though..

Addressing the freedom factor, the last thing on my mind as a kid, was worrying about whether I'd be snatched as happened in my suburb, recently.
Three attempts and know two of the kids - just before school finished for the year. Not that these things didn't happen then, but seems a bit more prevalent now.. Everything else I suppose is or should be common sense, only seems it's not so common, now.........



Everything's changed and you're right, it's our own fault...

40% of Aucklands population are resent immigrants "last 30 years" and their coming to a town near you,,if their not already there.
The biggist change in this country in my life time has been in the population,,both numbers and make up.
We did not do this,,,,our Gov't that we have virtually no control over have done this.
If you have rock spiders where you live it's due to numbers more than any other single thing.
Yes they were here in 1957,,but they were one or two back then,,,not the numbers we have in almost every town today.
It's like hillbillys that come to Auckland a think the people are different from where they come from,,well their not,,there's just more of them.
This is not "our fault",,unless of course you are one of those that have run out on your own country and come to NZ seeking a new life but altered both our country and our life style with your very presence.
NZ is now a country where the Gov't and the popular press have actually given away the very cultural identity of it's own people.
Today you can be a South African, English or American "Kiwi",,,but if your a real born an bred Kiwi and say anything against these cultural theives stealing your very name,,,your labeled the fucking racist.

So don't hand me any shit about how it's our fault,,,"we" have never had a choice.

[Genestho]

Yeah, I don't love Auckland.. not a place I'd choose to settle. I personally feel there's a bigger picture than what you describe but, I don't want (or mean) to intentionally swing Hitcher's thread too far away from the original point.. and it's already been done to death elsewhere, I suspect.

Just throwing it out there.... Is your argument invalid when most Kiwi's are descendant from immigrants from somewhere else? I was born here, but a couple of generations ago we rocked up on Big ole Sail Boats settling in with our religion, pests and diseases. Are we "Kiwi's" not Boat people essentially, too?