In my day my aunt would let me come over to their house to hang out with my cousin. She would give each of us $2 to go to Eckard Drugs to buy comics, Pepsis and candy.
The popular candies (snacks) of choice were Gobstoppers, Big League Chew, Giant pixie sticks, or Reese’s peanut butter cups, and Slim Jim.
My cousin and I rode our bikes everywhere and never had to worry.
When we weren’t buying comics we would go to K-Mart and buy those big bags of plastic army men and play war. We took turns throwing rocks at each others army. Wonder why I am into miniature war games. I preferred the Sci-Fi pack of army men.
You could actually talk and no one would get offended and raise a lot of hell over trivial things.
After school fights did not require counseling.
You could drink from the water tap in the yard.
Dodge ball and stick ball were the coolest games ever. Right after hard tackle football.
Oh yeah; Vampirella was considered a racy comic. lol