Peace signs filled my room with black posters and incense in the air. My afro was big and bushy and I had a well trimmed goatee on my chin. The dashiki that I wore was made by a family friend. I had eight track tapes of Woodstock and the Beetles to listen to. I also had a large collection of record albums alphabetized in cardboard boxes. These were the good old days. This was a time when life was simple. We often left the door open. As children we would fight today and the next day we would be friends again. If I did something in the neighborhood that was bad the news got home before I did and yes my mother was waiting for an explanation.

The old School, Baby boomers, children of a world a place and time that has passed on, a time that we may never see again. We survived and were born to mothers who drank and smoked while they were pregnant. We lived in homes and slept in beds that were painted with brightly colored lead based paints. We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles. When we rode our bikes we had no helmets. Hitchhiking was also a way to get around. As babies we rode in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding on the back of the family pickup truck was always fun. We drank water from a water hose and not from a bottle. We shared one bottle of pop (soda) among friends. We ate cup cakes, white bread and we drank Kool-aid made with sugar. We stayed slim because were always outside playing.

We would leave early in the morning and play all day as long as were back before the street lights came on. We had no cell phones, or beepers our parents knew that we were ok. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride 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 did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms. We had friends and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house 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. Imagine that!!

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

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! We are the movers and shakers that help the world expand today. This article is a salute to the “Old School” All of us have memories that should be filled with good things. Sit and talk to an older person and you will hear some amazing stories of how the way things used to be, for The Old School.

My web site is still under construction. www.vernyn.com

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Born in Shreveoort Louisiana. Moved to Baton Rouge Louisiana at age 20. Now I live in Humble Texas. I have a B.A. in Philosophy. Currently employed by The Department of the Treasury. Married with Children. I love to write and tell stories. I am a church Deacon. Everyone that I meet is a friend. I see life as an opportunity to learn to explore and of course to write.