Shorbe, I hope not, but I never really did discover where that strange proboscis came from... or those funny horns. Yep, you're right - the 80s were a very strange time. I'll have to ask my therapist about it.

Cheers!

Billie, me too...we had much more freedom and we loved it..i have ,despite alcholism domestic violence and mental illness in my later yrs(from 6 -17 yrs when i left home) the happiest of memories because I had 3 other siblings and we stuck to together very closely due to the trauma of our enviroment and to protect each other..

The happiest times i cherish are the roaming free and unchecked(up to a point) and the adventures experienced therein.

It goes to show I guess that freedom just to be who we are is vitally important to our sense of self and wellbeing because if from that i have those memories and can say i looked back to my childhood and have those happy memories to counteract the other stuff, thats saying something.

My children are yet to have that kind of freedom...I know i am too watchful, but i want them to have the same freedoms i did and the memories associated.We are leaving for the bush at the end of the year.

"I fear for the future when it is placed in the hands of the children of today. They are disrespective to their elders and do not conform to society." Was this written recently?---No it is a paraphrase of the words spoken by a Greek philosopher (whose name escapes me at the moment) over a thousand years ago.
I have seen my children go through the various stages through the 60s, 70s and can recall my dismay at their behaviour in spite (or is it because)of firm but loving discipline.Do not despair as I believe that the children of today are no better nor worse than the children of yesteryear, only different. Of course there are exceptions but for every "bad" child there are countless numbers of "good" children. I used the word "bad" when it effect I probably mean the result of bad parenting. In spite of Governmental interference and the well meaning but unhelpful social workers, counsellers, children Court etc.most parents try to be good parents. I could write of the part Centre Link has played in all of this but will leave that for another time.