收到一位美国朋友转来的短信。作者怀念他小时候的成长环境，从而带出了一个意味深长的问题：什么样的环境，有利于造就性格中那些最重要的成分：冒险精神，解决问题的能力，承担责任的勇气。
特译成中文，并收存于此。
写给上个世纪30年代，40年代，50年代，60年代和70年代出生的人们。
在此祝贺你们侥幸活到了现在。
首先，我们的母亲在怀着我们的时候，不懂得戒烟，不知道不能喝酒，我们就这么诞生了。
她们不仅服用阿司匹林，还吃蓝乳酪沙拉酱，甚至根本不做糖尿病测试。
而且，在遭受了这些创伤之后，我们的婴儿床还涂上了色彩鲜艳的油漆，那是含铅的！
那时没有防护儿童的药瓶盖，没有防护儿童的门或柜橱，我们骑自行车时，不知道要带头盔，更别提我们经常拦路搭车的风险了。
作为孩子，我们乘坐的汽车没有安全带，没有气囊保护装置。在温暖的日子了，我们在飞驰的卡车后斗兜风，那可算特别犒赏呢。
我们从花园的管子里喝水，可不是喝瓶装水。四个朋友轮流喝同一瓶饮料，而没人因此而死。
我们吃的蛋糕塔、面包、奶油，以及喝的汽水里面统统含糖，但我们并没有因此而肥胖，因为我们一天到晚在户外玩耍。
我们一大早就跑出家门，疯上一整天，一直玩到街灯亮了才回家。一整天谁也找不到我们，可是我们都挺好。
我们会花几个钟头用废品做出小滑车，从小丘顶上冲下来时，才发现忘了闸。好几次栽到了树棵子里面，随后，我们找出了解决的办法。
我们那时没有游乐中心，没有任天堂，没有x-boxes, 也更没有游戏机。没有99个台的闭路电视，没有录像片，没有立体音响，没有手机，没有个人电脑，没有上网，没有网络聊天室……
……可我们有朋友，我们跑出去……
我们从树上掉下来，割破了自己，跌断了骨头和牙齿，但那些事故从来没引起过法律官司。
我们用棍棒和网球编创自己的游戏，吃下去小虫，虽然已被警告会有什么后果，可我们并没有弄瞎很多眼睛，那些小虫也没永远长在我们身体里。
我们跨上自行车，或走步到朋友家去，敲敲门、按按门铃，或干脆长驱直入，去说心里的话。
我们的小团队时常比赛，并不是每个人都能被选中，落选的人从中学会了克服失望，想想吧！
我们没听说过子女触法要由父母保释这种事，他们原本是站在法律一边的。
在我们这一代人中，造就出了一批有史以来最优秀的敢于冒险的人，能够解决实际问题的人，能够发明创造的人。
过去的五十年，成为大发明、大创新的年代。我们拥有自由，拥有失败和成功，也拥有责任，我们学会了如何把握所有这一切。
你也是那代人中的一员。
在律师们和政府为了我们好而彻底规范了我们的生活之前，你多半愿意与那些有幸真正像孩子一样长大的人们，一起分享这些感受。
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED
the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a water bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........
. . WE HAD FRIENDS . . . we went outside
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live in us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids,
before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
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