Bryan Borda

I grew up in Kingsport, TN and I never once questioned my Father’s or Mother's income. It was never a discussion. We never once discussed how people voted or for who. We ate homemade meals consisting of meat, potatoes, and vegetables. We never touched anything that did not belong to us. We never opened a refrigerator at anyone's house unless asked to do so. We were taught to respect other peoples property. And we were rewarded for acting properly. We grew up during a time when we mowed lawns, pulled weeds, babysat, helped with all chores. We, by no means, were given everything we wanted. We were not allowed to stay in our bedrooms all day and we were not allow to sit on the bed during the day. We went outside a lot to play, run with friends, play hide and seek, or went bike riding. We rarely just sat inside. Bottled water was unheard of, if we wanted water we drank straight from the faucet or hose. If we had a soda, it was in a glass bottle, and we didn’t break the bottle when finished. We saved the bottle for the return money. And, we collected the bottles for the nickel for our next purchase. We had to tell our parents where we were going, who we were going with, and be home before dark. You 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑬𝑫 from your parents instead of disrespecting them and treating them as if they knew absolutely nothing. What they said was 𝑳𝑨𝑾 and you did not question it and you had better know it! We watched what we said around our elders and neighbors because we knew if we 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑫 any grown-up, we would get a real good whooping, it wasn't called abuse, it was called discipline! We held the doors for others and carried the shopping into the house. We gave up our seat for an older person without being asked. You didn't hear swear words on the radio in songs or on TV. "Please and Thank you", were part of our daily vocabulary! The world we live in now is just so full of people who hate and disrespect others. Friends, consider re-posting if you're thankful for your childhood. I will 𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑮𝑬𝑻 where I came from and only wish children and people nowadays had half the chance at the fun and respect for real life we grew up with! And we were never bored!