The Friday Five

[dizzojay]

This is today's set of questions:

1. What toys were popular when you were a kid?

I was born in 1968, so I was a child in pre-computer times. Some of the toys I remember being really popular in the first, say, 10 years of my life were: Etch-a-Sketch, Spirograph, Sindy (the UK equivalent to Barbie),Action Man, Lego, Meccano, Weebles and lots of things relating to contemporary TV shws and characters such as the Muppets or the Wombles.

2. What musicians were popular when you were a teenager?

I was an early eighties teenager, and as such I think I won life’s musical lottery.  I was a total ‘new romantic’ in my teenage years and I spent my formative years dancing and singing along to bands and artists such as Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Human League, Culture Club and Ultravox.

3. What unique personality traits do you think you have in common with others born around the same time as you?

I’m not entirely sure that people of my age have any common personality types.  Having said that, we were the last generation to go through our schooling without the use of computers and did all our revision and studying using books and other printed resources.  I think, also, we were possibly the last generation that had complete freedom to disappear and play outdoors without parental supervision, and of course there were no mobile phones in my youth, so we were fairly self-sufficient as kids.  Therefore, I think maybe my generation has a certain degree of independence,self-reliance and resourcefulness. 

4. Do you think stereotypes about your generation are accurate?

I’m Gen X, and I believe we have a slightly ‘latchkey-kid’ stereotype, which sort of fits in with what I was saying above.

5. What do you admire about other generations?

Every generation has its own unique benefits and its own unique challenges.  The generation that I most admire is my grandparents’ generation.  Those who lived through a World War and gave up so many years of normal life to do their bit, whether it be at home or on the front line, and who lived in the shadow of death every day.

Comments

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

We were definitely the last generation without computers and mobile phones, and YES, we were free to roam around the block and play with the neighbors kids without our parents being too worried. How we went out and played would NEVER happen now. Not only because of the increased dangers, but because kids have nowadays have all the computer games and what not to entertain them that we didn't. My nephews and nieces have spent countless hours playing computer games indoors, when we were the same age we were outside playing.

I fondly remember Etch a Sketch and Spirograph. They were fun to play with. I spent hours with my Lego set and little man & animal figures. Those were the days.

My grandparents lived through WWI and my parents through WWII. Like you said, they did their duty whether it was at home or at war. My mother lived in war-torn Holland during WWII, as I'm sure your parents did in war-torn England. Everything was hard to come by, and yet they didn't complain. I remember stories from my mother telling us that in the last years of the war food was hard to come by and they were forced to eat tulip bulbs at times just to have something to eat. They just did what had to be done. A lot to admire about that generation.