"you'll shoot your eye out kid"

How  could any of us forget those lines from that great 80's movie a
Christmas Story?  What started out as a low budget, get-it-out quick flick
became a real icon in the film world and is seen non stop over the holidays.

Poor Ralphie wanted that red ryder bb gun so bad he could taste it...back in the
fifties and sixties we all wanted that bb gun.. and most of us had one... and guess
what? No one I know ever lost an eye to one... although I'm sure it happened
somewhere, unfortunate it as it may be.

My brothers and I hunted sparrows and pigeons with our bb guns...had contests
actually.....who could get the most....and most days the birds were the winners when
we couldn't hit the barn wall even with a blind fold on.

We went from bb guns to twenty two's... to shotguns and so forth.  Never had a cannon
or a hand grenade, although we did have a few fire crackers from time to time...
those things did smart when they went off in your hand!

My brother Ed and I set off a homemade fire cracker I had made from stuff I got thru
the U.S. mail.....put it in an old desk up the creek... leveled that sucker... good thing we
were both back fifty yards plus.

Can't imagine what the next generation will do for fun....electronics and computer boards
have taken over the young people....maybe that's a good thing....I just don't think it will
have the feel of pouring those bb's into the storage part of the bb gun, cockin' that
thing and letting it fly....

The younger people probably will never get to hear that saying..."you'll shoot your eye
out kid."   I kind of feel sorry for them actually.  I won't give mine up.. they'll have to
pry it from my old withered, skinny arms someday.