“A Different World”

by Bucky Covington

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank

Our cribs were covered in lead-based paint

No child-proof lids no seat belts in cars

Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are, still here we are

We got daddy’s belt when we misbehaved

Had three TV channels you got up to change

No video games and no satellite

All we had were friends and they were outside, playin’ outside

(Chorus)

It was a different life

When we were boys and girls

Not just a different time

It was a different world

School always started the same every day

The pledge of allegiance then someone would pray

Not every kid made the team when they tried

We got disappointed and that was all right, we turned out all right

(Chorus)

No bottled water, we drank from a garden hose

And every Sunday, all the stores were closed

Last week I went back to my hometown for a wedding and my brother Tim had this song playing on his stereo. I never heard it before so I asked him to play it again, and then one more time.

I said, “Wow! This song is so true.”

He agreed. We did grow up in a different world. I know I have written about growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before, but this song sort of talks about how that whole era from the ’60s to the early ’80s grew up. It did not matter what region you were from, this is how it was.

Being nostalgic, I think every era thinks they were raised the best, but I really can relate to this song and wish some of the lyrics were still true today. I loved playing outside and remember playing until dark and then going home and getting a flashlight to play flashlight tag for even longer. I remember having all the kids in the neighborhood playing football, basketball, whiffleball and kickball. Kick the can, hide and seek, and tag were also local favorites.

The line about the pledge of allegiance and then someone would pray also hits a nerve for me because I still think this is how it should be. I am very open to new religions, but even a few quiet minutes for people to say a prayer, reflect or just stand quiet would be fine with me. I do not think I ever appreciated it as much when I was a kid, but I sure do now. I say so many silent prayers now that I would need about an hour to start the day. The pledge was just a way for me to thank the soldiers for letting me live in such a great country. The flag is a great way to be proud of one’s country, and I am proud of ours. It saddens me that we still do not do this in some schools.

The line about bottled water cracks me up because we all drank from a garden hose and never even thought about water from bottles. Heck, we drank out of jelly jars and Yahtzee cups if no cups were available. Now before you start your letter-writing campaign on the spanking, smoking and drinking, I did say some of the lyrics I wished were true today and not all of them.

I do not smoke nor do I condone it, but I have friends who do and they are still my friends. I do not live in an ivory tower, so judging my friends is something I choose not to do. I am glad that there are bike helmets and seat belts for safety reasons and have to chuckle a bit when it comes to all the safety stuff we did not have.

I remember sitting in the back lay-down portion of the station wagon looking out the back window and waving at people. Today, of course, the authorities would be called, but back in the day, it was just well, er, normal.

We played with metal lawn Jarts that we would throw high in the air, BB guns, and wrist rockets. It is crazy when you think of all the stuff that just would not fly today. We all carried pocket knives to school and never even thought twice about it.

The song title is very true as it was a different world. I am not one to judge if we are better or worse than back then, but I do miss it.

Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s column appears every Thursday.