How true and sad it is Leon, brings back memories.
At 56 I look back and remember my first skateboard, made from the remains of some old roller skates (aluminium alloy wheels, no 2 of which were the same diameter) that belonged to my brothers.
Billy carts made with scrap timber and pram wheels salvaged from the tip.
My first radio was an old valve model also salvaged from the tip. In those days it was OK for a kid to go to the tip and forage.
A tree fort adorned the flowering gum tree in the front yard, never mind falling out or getting stung by bees in the flowering season. The gum nuts provided wonderful projectiles to be hurled great distances, often on the grouchy neighbours garage roof, usually until she came out and hurled abuse at us. This was not done for simple pleasure, the old duck used to race us to the ball each time it went over the fence then refuse to give it back, so this was our way of getting even.
An underground fort was dug in the back yard, by hand of course, then covered with old roofing iron and a veneer of soil and grass.
If I wanted to visit a friend or go swimming at the local waterhole, it was by pushbike, bought second hand and not until my 10th birthday.
Pocket money didn't exist, I had to mow the neighbours lawns to get money. The furthest jobs were around 1Km away and in very hilly areas, no car, I had to push the mower there and carry the petrol can as well. I still remember earning $15.00 in one day, a lot of money in 1968.
My first video game was a TV tennis game put together from a design in Electronics Australia.
Then there was cracker night,
A kid could just go to the shop and buy whatever you wanted, several weeks before and up to the night, no one blew their hands off or eyes out....
Did I mention spud guns....
My kids can't even drive a nail or screw something together, all my mate's kids are the same, I can't recall making a conscious effort to make them that way.
I wouldn't swap my childhood for 10 of theirs.