As children of the sixties we experienced an entirely different world than our children experience today. We didn't have car seats, helmets, floaties, sunscreen or childproof caps. Instead of relying on electric outlet covers to keep us from poking knives into them or fancy gadgets to keep us out of cupboards, we were told not to do so. Simply put, if we didn't do as we were told we would be "smacked into the middle of next week." I can remember many times wishing I could be smacked into the middle of next week. But it must have worked, because we're all still here, buying up all those fancy gadgets.

When we were kids it was common to be left in the car while our moms went into the mall, after all... they'd only be gone for a "few" minutes. And we wouldn't be in the only car load of kids in the parking lot either. We tried to keep ourselves occupied for a while: blowing the horn at people as they walked by (laughing hysterically if it caused them to jump out of their skins), yelling to kids in other cars, pretending to be smoking...but it all got pretty old fairly quickly. By the time our moms finally came out (looking like they could use a third arm to carry all the packages) we'd usually be hot, sweaty messes from wrestling around with each other.

I can't remember it even being suggested that we wear a seat belt. It was total mayhem in the back seat. Whining about it got the "hand" reaching back and indiscriminately slapping anything in range. Nowadays kids have their own personal "thrones" replete with cup holders and personal dvd players. Nary a sweat drop will be found on their bodies because they control the temperature in their own personal domain.

I took Caitlin to a water park when she was four. Foolishly, we decided our first ride would be on the biggest water slide. The line was long, but we persevered and finally made it to the "launching station." As Caitlin got ready to be put in her tube to go down, she suddenly decided it was too scary for her. I offered to go down with her, but no, apparently that wasn't allowed under any circumstances. You could tell that the kid assisting in the boarding and launching of the tubes took his job very seriously.

I took Caitlin aside and said, "Okay Honey, Here's the deal, you either get in the tube and go down the slide or we go back to the car and sit in it for the rest of the day. You decide."

She stood quietly, contemplating her choices. Finally with tears in her eyes she said, "I guess I'll just go sit it the car."

Stunned, I told her that was in fact the wrong answer and despite her shrieks of protest and the angry objections of the "launcher guy," I tossed her in a tube and sent her on down. I grabbed another tube and sent myself down right behind her. As we rounded the first twist in the slide, I realized why the launcher guy was so adamant about the timing of each launch. My weight had me going so much faster than Caitlin that it became clear I was going to slam into her. Sure enough, with her screaming in fear and me screaming with laughter, I hit her with such force that she popped out of her tube entirely and went the rest of the way down the slide without it.

 Fortunately, back then every employee wasn't wired up with fancy walkie-talkies. Sure as anything if "launcher guy" would have had the latest technology he would have had some beefy security type waiting at the bottom of the slide to escort me out. As it was, Caitlin loved her ride and couldn't wait to go down again. Of course we had to bide our time (we didn't want to risk running into that uptight little launcher again). That was the last time she expressed any fear to go on any ride of any kind. To the world if may have looked like child abuse, but for me it worked like a charm.