(I grew up in a small town in Southern Quebec)
-karate chop Big Jim.
-riding in the open trailer behind the car when the car was too full of adults.
-being in total fear of being called to the principal's office due to the very real threat of getting the strap.
-being taught to properly use power tools and to cut grass on a riding mower at 7 years old.
-getting our first colour TV. Only got about 6 stations and you had to get up and adjust the antenna rotor every time you switched channels.
-6 kids fighting over the TV for Saturday morning cartoons.
-Sunday evening TV as a family - Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, The Wonderful World of Disney (always hoping for a cartoon) & Sonny & Cher
-getting a hand me down Pong video game.
-getting my first pocket knife at age 7, and no problems at all bringing it to school.
-once annual trip in August to a very small city to shop for school clothes, and to have lunch at A&W or KFC (no fast food restaurants for the rest of the year!
).
-fall school field trips to a local orchard to help pick apples for $0.10 per bushel basket.
-hour long bus ride to school twice a day as it was a milk run to pick up all the rural kids and kids like me in small towns. Progressing from having to sit in the front of the bus when in Grade 1 to being able to sit in the back of the bus in Grade 6. (Quebec high school starts at Grade 7).
-the ONLY BBQ was a charcoal BBQ.