Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Don’t forget to click the purple button to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.
What did you want for birthday/Christmas that you never got and might be bitter about? Have you bought it for yourself?
Looking back from where I am now, with my grandchildren at school, growing up in the 1960s seems almost like living on another planet.
There was no internet, no mobile phones. We only had two T.V. channels, in Black and White. There were only advertisements on one of those, so it was perfectly possible to go for days without being bombarded by exhortations to buy the latest trending gadget.
I’m not telling you this because of any sense of deprivation on my part. We may have been poor by today’s standards, but I didn’t really lack anything. There wasn’t the consumerism, or the continual stream of new and improved versions of things we already owned to distract you, which sadly seems to be such a part of modern life.
And yet, there was a sort of shared pool of knowledge among us at school, a grapevine that pre-dated the internet. We always seemed to know about what was cool or desirable, the must-haves if you like, just as well as children do today
I remember birthdays and Christmases when I received gifts that were on my wish list and times when I didn’t.
When it came to the things I wanted and never got, I would have to wait quite a few years for them.
All the way to my own children’s childhood in fact. It was worth the wait, because not only did I get to play with the things I’d never owned, I rediscovered all the joys of sharing, with them. Now I could legitimately buy the toys I had missed out on.
While, officially, I was buying them for my children, it gave me a chance to play. I might have even let them have a go every now and then.
When we get to the next blog hop. the big day will have passed. I wish you all a very happy Christmas, however you choose to celebrate it, and that the day is everything you desire.
Until next time.
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Stevie Turner
I’m actually glad I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel sorry for today’s kids, all addicted to their phones and without the freedom we had to play outside. I hardly ever watched TV – I was too busy interacting with real friends outside in the street.
Richard Dee
Yes, T.V. was often the last thing on our minds, there was a whole world to explore.
Daryl Devore
Exactly – we weren’t bombarded with ads.
Merry Christmas to you.
Tweeted.
Richard Dee
I don’t think I was any worse off for it.
Darlene
Every generation thinks that their childhood was the best. And that is probably how it should be. I love that we can buy our kids and grandkids some of the things we wanted and they always let us play with the gifts too. Have a fabulous Christmas, Richard.
Richard Dee
Thanks, I hope your Christmas is wonderful.
P.J. MacLayne
Isn’t that the greatest? Sharing your joy with a toy with your kids?
Richard Dee
Grandchildren are the best invention, it’s a shame you have to wait so long for them.
Samantha J Bryant
Children do give us a great opportunity to relive the best parts of our own childhoods.
Richard Dee
I agree, with them, I saw the world in a different way.