4 ms·

I'm from Poland, born in 74, so I remember that time well. 1987 was 3 years before bankruptcy of the communist government and fall of iron curtain. It was stil

I'm from Poland, born in 74, so I remember that time well. 1987 was 3 years before bankruptcy of the communist government and fall of iron curtain. It was still bad as author described. I remember the long lines to bakeries, I remember the grey block of flats (these are still there, and even though painted in other colors are dull as hell!). But... we, children, did not know there is a "better life" out there. Sure, everybody had someone in the West (mostly in US), we got an occasional package for Xmas with chocolate and some clothes. But we, children, did not care for the West that much. We were outside playing stupid games like hanging out on carpet hanger next to block of flats (and screaming "cinema!" when one of the girls revealed her underwear while doing some risque maneuver). We jumped rope and "rubber". We played war (zee Germans vs us). I would come out in the morning or right after school and stay until dark, at which time my mom would call "comeeee baaaaaack!" from the window. So yes, it was dark middle ages, but somehow simple and pleasant. This is in contrast to my children today rarely venturing outside and playing some phone crap all day long. For adults that might have been whole another story. The promise of the West likely has been large. But I still want to bet guys were busy chasing the ladies, the family was the focus, and people who wanted to be happy were happy. So not romanticizing the system too much - I am a successful software engineer working all other the World for "the man" and like it - it was not that bad as people might think. Some of us were quite happy, despite system's shortcomings. Strange for sure, but not hopeless.

jpatokal 11y ago
Your description of life for kids in Poland reminds me a lot of my own childhood in Finland -- except that I was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, and there were no bread lines. (Quite few grey blocks of flats though...) I also remember driving through East Germany and visiting East Berlin in the mid-1980s and getting thoroughly freaked out by what a even child could recognize as a monochrome totalitarian dystopia. It's the US, with its pervasive fear that kids must be supervised at all times or they'll immediately be kidnapped and sold into sex slavery or something, that's the real outlier here. See http://www.freerangekids.com/ http://www.freerangekids.com/ for a movement that's trying to roll this back, with some success.
tallanvor 11y ago
The way you played wasn't much different than how I played growing up in the US less than 30 years ago. After school we'd be outside riding bikes or playing games with friends, often until dusk. We mostly stayed on the block, but our parents were fine with us wandering as long as we stayed in the neighborhood and didn't cross any of the busy streets. I still don't understand the fear that's gripped much of the western world about not letting kids go play outside by themselves.

jpatokal 11y ago

Your description of life for kids in Poland reminds me a lot of my own childhood in Finland -- except that I was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, and there were no bread lines. (Quite few grey blocks of flats though...) I also remember driving through East Germany and visiting East Berlin in the mid-1980s and getting thoroughly freaked out by what a even child could recognize as a monochrome totalitarian dystopia. It's the US, with its pervasive fear that kids must be supervised at all times or they'll immediately be kidnapped and sold into sex slavery or something, that's the real outlier here. See http://www.freerangekids.com/ http://www.freerangekids.com/ for a movement that's trying to roll this back, with some success.

tallanvor 11y ago

The way you played wasn't much different than how I played growing up in the US less than 30 years ago. After school we'd be outside riding bikes or playing games with friends, often until dusk. We mostly stayed on the block, but our parents were fine with us wandering as long as we stayed in the neighborhood and didn't cross any of the busy streets. I still don't understand the fear that's gripped much of the western world about not letting kids go play outside by themselves.