What a time to be alive. No cell phones. No cable. No social media. Just me, my friends in the neighborhood, our bicycles and the freedom to go and do.
We stole candy from the drug store. We changed grades on our report cards. We told offensive jokes. We had fist-fights. We made up. We put dogshit in paper bags, lit them on fire and left them on doorsteps after ringing the bell. We sneaked out and roamed the neighborhood at 3:00 am. We drove underage. We drank underage and we smoked underage. We played spin the bottle and truth or dare. We did homework with a number 2 pencil, not with a laptop. We stole street signs. We got caught and we feared our parents consequences far more than what law enforcement would do to us. We drank soft drinks out of glass bottles, we ate candy that looked like cigarettes and we threw lawn darts at each other. We swam in the creek because the pool was too crowded. We played ball ALL. DAY. LONG.
If we wanted to bully someone, we did it to their face and took the chance someone would punch us in the mouth. We didn't do it cowardly over social media. If we liked a girl, we sent her a note in class. We didn't snapchat her. If we wanted to play a video game with friends, we had them come over and play with us - but only for two-player games. If it was a one-player game, they just had to wait their turn. We didn't connect with people from all over the world to play a video game.
We went to church even though none of us liked it. We ate our vegetables because our parents told us to. We were always respectful to police even though they may not have deserved it. We knew that in a room full of adults, we should keep our mouths closed and our ears open. We got bored and when we complained about it, we were told to deal with it.
We played organized sports and it wasn't a big deal. It was just something to do.
We cared about our classmates. Even the ones we didn't like. Because my mom and his mom knew each other. And we even took up for the asshole at our school when guys from other schools tried to start shit. Because while he was an asshole, he was our asshole. And whether we liked it or not, he was part of our community.
The 90s were great and had a lot of the same stuff. But even as early as the 90s, you could see innocence and a simpler time slipping away.
We stole candy from the drug store. We changed grades on our report cards. We told offensive jokes. We had fist-fights. We made up. We put dogshit in paper bags, lit them on fire and left them on doorsteps after ringing the bell. We sneaked out and roamed the neighborhood at 3:00 am. We drove underage. We drank underage and we smoked underage. We played spin the bottle and truth or dare. We did homework with a number 2 pencil, not with a laptop. We stole street signs. We got caught and we feared our parents consequences far more than what law enforcement would do to us. We drank soft drinks out of glass bottles, we ate candy that looked like cigarettes and we threw lawn darts at each other. We swam in the creek because the pool was too crowded. We played ball ALL. DAY. LONG.
If we wanted to bully someone, we did it to their face and took the chance someone would punch us in the mouth. We didn't do it cowardly over social media. If we liked a girl, we sent her a note in class. We didn't snapchat her. If we wanted to play a video game with friends, we had them come over and play with us - but only for two-player games. If it was a one-player game, they just had to wait their turn. We didn't connect with people from all over the world to play a video game.
We went to church even though none of us liked it. We ate our vegetables because our parents told us to. We were always respectful to police even though they may not have deserved it. We knew that in a room full of adults, we should keep our mouths closed and our ears open. We got bored and when we complained about it, we were told to deal with it.
We played organized sports and it wasn't a big deal. It was just something to do.
We cared about our classmates. Even the ones we didn't like. Because my mom and his mom knew each other. And we even took up for the asshole at our school when guys from other schools tried to start shit. Because while he was an asshole, he was our asshole. And whether we liked it or not, he was part of our community.
The 90s were great and had a lot of the same stuff. But even as early as the 90s, you could see innocence and a simpler time slipping away.
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