And We Survived

And We Survived! ©
Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
July 24, 2023

Not going to spout judgements
Just stating what was back then
Perhaps something to be gleaned
Not particularly profound nor spiritually Zen

As a young child of the fifties
A few things I shall freely share
Some of you will remember
Others might barely care

But looking back on times that were
Can sometimes give perspective
And should you gain some wisdom now
Acting upon it will be 100% elective

So mom and dad like chimneys did smoke
Just like Lucy and Ricky did
No sensitivity whatsoever given
To a soon to be asthmatic kid

We rode our bikes with speed and verve
Helmets no place to be found
And when we raced past dead man’s curve
Our bodies mostly stayed safe and sound

No technology games nor computers we had
Our minds would fervently create
For fun and games we’d conjure up
Our senses they’d satiate

No playdates were ever needed
No hyper-scheduled organized fun
There were only daily adventures
And spontaneous roles for everyone


I am certainly not going to passionately preach
Nor sermonize ad-infinitum
But I will just say a few more things
Feel free to agree or blatantly fight them

Of course the obvious addictions were vile
Like smoking in your children’s faces
And perhaps some safety precautions were warranted
To prevent broken bones in so many places

But spontaneous creativity freely given
To children with brains yearning to grow
Helped engender this wizened creative poet
Giving rock solid confidence I surely do know!

To this day my mind wanders to those times
When all children roamed streets of wondrous delight
When our own creativity mattered
Problems usually solved with nary a fight

Trust given by parents and all parents looked out
And cared for each child and I have no doubt
We still felt loved and no technology to be found
When we ran, screamed and fell in our local playground

I do believe the time has come
To stop this verbosity
And finalize with a simple thought
About my shared philosophy

The safety features we duly impose
Of course we know are good
And every responsible caregiver
Please do impose them for indeed you should!

I only implore you gift your children
The joyous full use of a wondrous mind
Allowing the magical flow of creativity
So they’ll grow confident, inquisitive and kind