Self-sufficiency and self-entertainment were a way of life for kids raised in the decade of the seventies. I know because I was one of those kids. I consider myself quite fortunate to have been born into an era when family units were strong, boundaries were clear, and your mama would and could slap you back into reality if required.

First and foremost, good physical health could be maintained with fried spam or bologna sandwiches on white bread for lunch – peanut butter sandwiches ran a close second – because you played outside all day. Whole milk was readily available and cokes and other such beverages were only enjoyed on rare occasions when we visited the local burger joint. Kool-aid ruled as the beverage of choice and tap water was deemed safe to drink at any time- water filters weren’t required. Shockingly, the health status of America’s children was secure and a Fred Flintstone vitamin once a day was supplement enough.

TVs were the only form of screen time, and the local menu offered two channels : channels 5 and 8. Living in the country required every home to have a taller than life TV antenna outside and every time the wind blew hard or a bird flew by and bumped the long gangly pole somebody (one of us kids) had to run onto the front porch, lean out and turn it with another somebody inside yelling, “No, to the left a little. Go back right. Too far…go left.” Hard to believe, but when it was time to turn the channel, we had to actually get up out of our comfortable chairs and turn a knob attached to the TV set.

Childhood play was creative back then. One of our favorite places to play was underneath my great grandparents’ house. The old house was built on hand-hewed logs and put together with wooden pegs, and it was well occupied with spiders and other such insects of interest and notoriety. We’d crawl under the creaking boards, sinking in at least 12 inches of dust, and let our imaginations soar. We could practically go from underneath the front porch all the way to the back of the house without hitting our heads! An occasional chicken or two would lay a stray egg here or there and we’d gather it and carry it to Grandma for safekeeping. When we’d crawl out, we had dirt from stem to stern but not a care in the world.

Switches ruled in the seventies when it came to discipline. Those tiny thin flexible tree limbs could cause a kid to break out in a cold sweat and instantly go into a repentant frame of speech and mind. My mama was a switch expert who seldom had to wield her expertise as we learned how to avoid needing such discipline…it was called ‘minding your mama’. It also taught you to call on Jesus at an early age.

Those were the days of my childhood and what days they were! I don’t regret being a seventies kid. Peace, love, and joy and for the most part fully functioning families defined the era where the real people lived and common sense was king.