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I never hitch hiked, but I made nitro glycerin in the basement (and guncotton, gunpowder, TNT and some other stuffs), we car surfed, I once ran away from home and walked/ran 16 miles on a gravel road in only socks and chewed my feet to a bloody mess with a pack of wild dogs padding along next to me in the woods and scaring me to death part of the time, we jumped cars off of rail road crossing humps, practiced "California turnarounds" raced, probably another hundred terribly stupid dangerous things I am forgetting. it is so funny when I see some of today parents go on and on about the terrible risks we allow our kids to take. Um riding a bike or sledding with no helmet? I failed to wear a helmut when we blew up an abandoned car in a junk yard and seemed to forget to die from it.
When we did something stupidly dangerous we patched ourselves up pulled out anyhting embedded n out bodies and carried on. the few instances where we heard about someone dying or getting seriously inured doing something incredibly stupid - we we would afterwards be really careful when we did those incredibly stupid things.
Now it is just plain funny. It seems like our society believes they can protect children from all forms of risk or danger. Can't be done. Kid need to take risks and make mistakes that is how they learn to evaluate risks and make decisions. And yes, some of them will die. Some will also dies form the flu, and from accidents, or from mom texting while driving. It is sad, but it will happen and forcing kids into a sheltered life is not going to prevent it. While I am nto about to encourage or allow my kids to make nitro in the basement, I am saddened by the incredibly sheltered lives I see kids living. It leaves them extremely fearful. Try to get a handful of kids to even go camping and half will not be allowed to go and another half of the remainder will chicken out - it is just too risky.
I never hitch hiked, but I made nitro glycerin in the basement (and guncotton, gunpowder, TNT and some other stuffs), we car surfed, I once ran away from home and walked/ran 16 miles on a gravel road in only socks and chewed my feet to a bloody mess with a pack of wild dogs padding along next to me in the woods and scaring me to death part of the time, we jumped cars off of rail road crossing humps, practiced "California turnarounds" raced, probably another hundred terribly stupid dangerous things I am forgetting. it is so funny when I see some of today parents go on and on about the terrible risks we allow our kids to take. Um riding a bike or sledding with no helmet? I failed to wear a helmut when we blew up an abandoned car in a junk yard and seemed to forget to die from it.
When we did something stupidly dangerous we patched ourselves up pulled out anyhting embedded n out bodies and carried on. the few instances where we heard about someone dying or getting seriously inured doing something incredibly stupid - we we would afterwards be really careful when we did those incredibly stupid things.
Now it is just plain funny. It seems like our society believes they can protect children from all forms of risk or danger. Can't be done. Kid need to take risks and make mistakes that is how they learn to evaluate risks and make decisions. And yes, some of them will die. Some will also dies form the flu, and from accidents, or from mom texting while driving. It is sad, but it will happen and forcing kids into a sheltered life is not going to prevent it. While I am nto about to encourage or allow my kids to make nitro in the basement, I am saddened by the incredibly sheltered lives I see kids living. It leaves them extremely fearful. Try to get a handful of kids to even go camping and half will not be allowed to go and another half of the remainder will chicken out - it is just too risky.
Great examples. I agree with you 100%. I would HATE to be a kid today when you have to be escorted by a parent to and from the car to the door of your classroom. UGH.
I did some incredibly stupid things as a teen - racing cars over dangerous roads, etc. I am still here.
I heard a Jewish woman say a couple of weeks ago that there is a belief in their religion that when your "number is up" you go - and not a second before that. I find that deeply consoling.
I was a teenager during the 80's, I wouldn't have ever thought about hitchhiking, it just seemed to be unsafe, even back then.
One time I saw this little old black lady on the side of the road with car problems. I was about 19 or so, I stopped by to help her out and she was completely afraid of me. I felt bad for her, I just said OK and left her alone. I thought about her a few times over the years...... wonder if she ever got help from someone.......
I'm about as threatening as a glass of milk, or a golden retriever puppy......
I think this sums it up. I was a teen in the early 70's and I was one of those "good boys", mostly a conformist who never did Imprudent Things -- or was I? I didn't hitchhike, smoke, chew or go with girls that do ... but I married a woman who I knew had at least two serious professionally diagnosed mental illnesses because I had a Jesus complex and thought I could save her.
Suffice it to say, I wish that I had hitchhiked. Even if I had been skinned alive in the process. It would have been less unpleasant.
I was a teen in the mid 80's and I never hitch hiked. I got my driver's license when I turned 16 and I got to drive my dad's truck (extra vehicle). I did pick up a few female hitch hikers at different times when I was in my late teens. Both were in their late 30's and both were a bit sketchy. I never did it again. Now I never see hitch hikers any more.
-Cheers!
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