A recent post on Digg.com lamented at how much life had changed between 1973 and 2007. Reading over the list, I thought it was mildly amusing, but none of none of the guns and Ritalin was familiar. I was born in 1973, and I’ve lived in more than ten countries in that time. This isn’t criticism, just a different perspective. Here’s how I see the list.

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack of his truck.

1973: Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack’s rifle and reminds him that guns aren’t allowed on school grounds. No problem, he just forgot to remove the rifle from his father’s truck (he can’t afford his own car).

2007: Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack’s rifle and is reminded that Jack is in training for the state school shooting team. Guns have been outlawed for most people, and the vice principal puts the gun in a secure safe until training starts.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1973: Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.

2007: Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Someone uploads it to Youtube.

Scenario: Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.

1973: Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.

2007: Jeffrey sent to office. Principal calls parents, enrols student in school drama production. Sits still in class, saves his energy for third period Physical Education class.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping.

1973: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2007: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes an extreme sportsman.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.

1973: Mark checks the headache medicine with Principal. Principal tells Mark the headache is nothing football training can’t fix.

2007: Mark checks the headache medicine with Principal. Principal tells Mark he hopes he gets over the headache soon.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1973: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2007: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, becomes an interior designer.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1973: Ants die.

2007: Ants die.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him.

1973: In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007: In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing. When he grows up, he remembers the kindness of his teacher, and grows up to be one just like her.