Wednesday, September 10, 2008

shootin the breeze

okay...........i am going to do the "random" thing today!!!........i have been thinking about all sorts of subjects to touch upon.......and of course now they have all kind of left my head.....ugh.........let's see.......

well........for starters.........i have a fellow blogger friend, her name is Bethanne please visit her VERY entertaining and well written blog, you won't be disappointed..........

anyway...........she was commentating on seat belts, or lack thereof in days gone by and it really got me going down memory lane on that subject! i think it is quite hilarious actually.........she was saying how her mother to this day puts her arm out if she has to make a quick stop.......how funny........i remember doing that with my children and remember my MOM doing that with me!!!......the only difference is.......waaaayyy back then........we did not have seat belts!!!....my kids floated around the vehicle like loose balloons! no kidding! they all fought for the "prime" spot......which was STANDING in the front between me and Larry!!!.........so they took turns!!.........or we based it upon the "obedience" factor........on long trips!.....(Heidi rarely made it....!!!)....JK!!!...hee hee..........
oh, and it was especially fun when we had that old station wagon! STATION WAGON??? WHAT???.........who even knows what that word is now???? OMG!!!..........i haven't even said that WORD for so many years!!!!..........actually i always was quite embarrased having it......it was so big and so ugly........i always aligned it to someone like the CLAMPETTS........filled to the brim with junk and children hanging out of every crevice!..........but oh the POSSIBILITIES it held inside for the children!!! the PRIME seat then turned from the front to the VERY back!........except honestly........it was as if they were lonely back there......because on long trips, the children started whining for the front between us again!!!
then there was the VAN! now i am not talking van in TODAY's standards!!!.........i am talking VAN via 1960 style!!! and the beauty of it..........it had 2 seats behind the front..........and nothing alllll the waaay back to the back door! now you talk about POSSIBILITIES!!!!.........the kids could play hide and seek in that sucker! so on long trips we would pack our "gear", the kids, the dog, toys, games, blankets, pillows, food, drink.......and anything else that would fit ...and take off for whatever our destination point was.....usually a trip to PA. to see grandparents!........why, it was a regular PLAYGROUND back there!!!!
soooo............if we had had seat belts...........what would these memories be????????
and BTW.........i couldn't tell you the year that seatbelts were installed into vehicles......but i can tell you that when we started having cars that had them..........we were NOT allowed to use them........via LARRY!!!...........he had them neatly, tightly rolled up in their place..........( he is a neat freak, and he is OCD....get the picture?).........and if anyone dared to use them........welll...........we had to deal with MR CRABBY PANTS!!!!!..big time!...and guess what??? to this day he does NOT use seat belts!!!.........
okay, so i hear you asking, do I use seat belts?........well, i have to tell you.......i HATE them vehemently...or however you spell that.......i use them.......but not consistently.......i base my use of seat belts on how my husband is driving,(which is very very scary in ATL traffic, i'm tellin ya) how busy the traffic is, the condition of the weather......or once in a while i just find myself using them without thinking........crazy, i know.........i am VERY claustrophobic and they make me feel like i can't breathe, firstly, and .......secondly, they leave permanent scars on my neck because for the very life of me i cannot get that strap to stay on my shoulder..........so sometimes i put the strap under my arm.....to which i have been told that IF i WERE in an accident my arm would undoubtedly RIP right off without a second chance........so that "vision" is always on my mind while driving that way...until it is so disturbing i put it back INTO my NECK!!!
so the bottom line is.......yes......i do respect seat belt laws, tho i still do not believe the government has the RIGHT to tell me to do so......i still HATE them.........but am thankful for the lives they save.......but hey,...........let's get real here..........who saved our lives BEFORE there were seat belts????..........yeah, yeah,,.....i know....God expects us to be wise in our decisions.....but honestly.....if God wants us HOME.........seat belts will NOT interfere with HIS plans, right?
well.........that is my random rambling for today.........
so......happy seatbelting to yall

4 comments:

Hollie said...

Funny post! It reminds me of when pete fell out of the backseat story!! Addie is obsessed with that! As you know.

Heidi Zawisza said...

Where are all the FUNNY stories that happened because we had NO seat belts?? Me and Pete falling out while in motion.....Hannah's diaper (or lack there of).....me and Pete making Hannah sit on the floor.......etc....etc....ETC......REMEMBER??

BethAnne said...

Ummm, yeah, I totally remember station wagons (never knew why they called them that though). My aunt had the buge one with the wood on the side and we would sit in the very back and make faces at the people behind us.
Oh and the vans.....my dad worked at a bank so he got first dibs on the repo cars - one time he brought home a huge Volkswagon bus/van thingie ----- talk about the hillbilly Partridge family....ugh! Cant bring myself to own a van to this day.
Thanks for the shout out on the blog and the sweet comments -- I wish you did live here so you could come to my class. I am loving those crafts you are showing in your latest post --- they ROCK!!! I sooooo need your help around here with crafty things --- I love me some Michaels!!!

Beth said...

Years ago my 3-year-old nephew Nick was riding in the old van with me and my dad, standing on the seat so he could see everything out the windows. Dad slammed on the brakes and Nick flipped forward in a perfect circle and landed on his bottom on the floor of the vehicle. "Grandpa!", he shouted with glee, "I dunned a flip!"

If this happened in 2008, we would be on the news for child neglect...