Yup. Gen X childhood was basically:
“Be home when the streetlights come on.”
That was the entire tracking system.
No phones. No helmets. No supervision.
Just bikes, bad decisions, and surviving situations that would trigger a modern neighborhood Facebook group for six straight months.
Honestly, “resilience” was mostly just:
“No adult came, so we handled it.”
@Zigmanfreud This made me laugh because it captures that exact middle spot we ended up in—old enough to remember how things used to work, young enough to still adapt. Keeps things in perspective.
It’s weirdly comforting watching everyone reel back to old photos and decade-old vibes. Not because the past was perfect, but because it reminds us the internet used to be about fun, not just noise.