What did you do growing up without Cells , Computers , TVs & other modern gizmo's...

Rode our bikes from dawn till dusk if we could, camped in the back yard and made our own adventures....catching bugs, collecting rocks, played marbles, pitched washers, and had a heck of a good time. Went swimming in a big ole tank a lot, too. Those were the days!

played outside all year long

Cells? Some of us actually studied and built mobile radios that we put in our cars, along with heavy duty generators to handle the electric load. We had slide rules. Most teachers wouldn't let us use them in class. It was cheating. TV was black and white and resolution and programing was so poor, I didn't watch it. For fun? We went to the local short track for the Saturday night Sprint car or Midget races. There was a lot of hot rodding and street racing going on too. Can't say it was safe, but I bet we had a helluva lot more fun than kids today. I took flying lessons too. Also learned to play a musical instrument. Played in the high school symphony orchestra. Friends had jazz bands, played at local clubs.

The only time I can remember being in the house for leisure was reading after dinner and watching about 2 hrs of cartoons on saturday morning. Space Ghost,Johnny Quest,Roadrunner,etc.

LOL!!!! Seems we really did have more fun!!!! U R so right played outside all day till dinner...jump rope..hop scotch...base ball....Oh and YES...Doing many chores....!!!!! Oh remember walking downtown with your Friends and going to a five & dime and having a root beer float..and feeling so grown! Thanks for some great memories...there are so many..U made me smile!!!!!!

Played with our friends in the neighborhood. We played a lot of dress up and pretend either with Barbies or ourselves. Also organized many evening games of kick the can, hide n' seek, red rover, Simon says, knock on ginger and flag football.

I had a little, transistor radio, which I would place under my pillow at nights. Sometimes, I listened to Cincinnati Reds games on it, and other times, I listened to music. Country music was a favorite of mine and I could even, on occasion, pull in WSM out of Nashville on Saturday nights and hear portions of the Grand Ol Opry. I got a lot of use of that little radio and it ' took me places ' I seldom got the opportunity to actually visit. And the funny thing is, those little radios are collector's items today, often selling for $30 to $ 50, depending on condition and whether or not they still work.

As a small child I played in our big yard with my brothers and every time I didn't get my way, I'd scream and Mom would come to the door and say "You boys quit bothering her!." It was "always" their fault.!!! When I was a little older, I got to play with the kids in a big family down the road. When I was about 11 I stopped going down there and at 12 started getting interested in boys. My favorite toys were dolls and books. We had a party line for a phone and when I was about 12 I started using it when I could to call my friends. As a teen, I went into town and started acting like a teenager, getting into things I shouldn't have, and having fun with my friends.
Who needed all the junk they have now? We were fine without it!

I am really grateful that we have such wonderful communication these days - I love my cell phone ! My daughter lives interstate and has a little baby - we can talk to each other on Skype and I see my grand-daughter growing up and waving to me. When I went to live away from my family, my parents saw my kids once a year. We used to write long-hand letters once a week, and send photographs, but they cost a lot too. Now, email and sending pix is so easy , I love it. And the airlines are so cheap these days, I can fly to see them several times a year.

I know that people like to reminisce about how great the old days were, and sure they had some good points. But I'm really happy with our lives today - those gizmos make life a lot easier and happier.

After doing your chores, playing outside from sunup to sundown, and talking to your friends - we still have more spare time! Another thing we'd do: read books! Comic books, magazines, library books - whatever you liked.