I GREW UP IN Fresno/Sacramento, California.  All may not apply but most of it does. Just thought I would share.

My mom was a no nonsense mom. She would call you from your room to come and turn the channel on the TV or, in some cases, adjust the wire hanger that was acting as the antenna. Maybe bring her a glass of ice water. LOL! You came when called. There was no if, and, or buts about it.

We watched our MOUTHS around our elders because ALL of your NEIGHBORS were your parents, and you didn’t want them telling your parents if you misbehaved. (It was one way to keep your teeth in your mouth or being able to sit down with out pain). Yes, everyone RESPECTED elders! Your neighborhood was a city within the city. no

TV was black and white and all stations (only a few) went off at midnight after playing the national anthem.

We ate bologna (cold or fried), peanut butter & jelly, grilled cheese sandwiches, pork-n-beans & hot dogs, pots of pinto beans and homemade cornbread, black eyed peas, collards, mustard & turnip greens, and all we drank was Kool-Aid. We ate hamburgers on Wonder Bread. We had home cooked dinners every night.There was no microwave.

Saturday morning we watched cartoon until momma made us clean the house we hurried in doing that so that we could watch Soul Train on at noon! We listened to music from all the greats (real music with real lyrics). We were up early for Sunday school (and we knew not to get our church cloths dirty!) and then to Sunday Morning service. We went to the restroom & got water all before service because there was no walking in and out of church.

I attended public school. I walked to and from school, rain or shine. We had recess every day. There were NO snow days. School was mandatory. We had truant officers. (Y’all don’t know nothing about that.) We had neighborhood police officers who knew our names and we knew theirs. Teachers and police were people who you could TRUST.

Staying in the house was a punishment and the only thing we knew about “bored”, was board games. You took your school clothes off as soon as you got home and put on your play clothes. When we went outside to play, we got dirty.

We played Freeze Tag, Red Light Green Light, 4 Corners, Hop Scotch, Hide & Seek, Red Rover, Truth or Dare, Catch a Girl, Kiss a Girl, Softball, Kickball, Dodge ball, touch football, roller skated, and rode bikes all over the neighborhood. Thirsty!? There was no bottled water. We drank from the tap, the water hose, and fire hydrants.

Remember the pole to pole on the swings? We made our own skateboards out of old skates and a board. We put cards on bike spokes to make our bikes sound like a motor.

The boys collected baseball cards, marbles, and comic books, and read them, not put them in plastic. Girls spent hours playing double dutch, paper dolls, Chinese jump rope, jacks, piggy and softball and football with the boys. Y’all remember those click clacks? (the real ones that’ll knock you out, LOL! Not this plastic stuff). We played “strike out” on the sides of the buildings. We literally would line up and race for fun! The street lights were our curfew.

We ate two for a penny candy. Yes I said, “penny.” That’s how much it cost then. Squirrel Nuts, Mary Janes, BB Bats, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Tootsie Rolls, Chico Sticks, Boston Baked Beans, etc.

Someone had a fight, that’s what it was and we were friends again the next day if not sooner. Nothing and no dispute was/is worth the cost of a life.

Those were the good ole days. I loved growing up when and how we did. It was a great time!!! Kids today will never know how it feels to be a real kid.

HOWEVER, we have the ability to change things around by engaging and spending time with our next generations. Put down all the technological devices. GO OUTSIDE.

Re-post if you’re proud that you came from a close knit community and will never forget where you came from!

Be Blessed! SAVE OUR KIDS!!