“a time of togetherness and innocence”
When we were growing up, we all thought about how bad we had it at home. But, when we look back, things were a lot nicer then, than they are now. And, although I don’t have any kids, I would be willing to bet that many of you would prefer to raise your kids in an environment like we were raised in. Sometimes we forget the little things that made growing up so special.. smiple memories, and simple times.. all thoughts from our youth.
Do you remember that weekend anticipation of sleeping over at a friend’s house? The parents were always around, but it didn’t matter. Crashing at a friend’s house consisted of homemade pizza, laughter, and playing games, and sitting up half the night talking, and sometimes being a little mischievous. There was no talk of drugs, no talk of killings, or violence. Violence was someone using a hard feather pillow to club you with instead of a foam one. Violence was double swinging two throw pillows at someone’s ears. Mischief was putting mom’s makeup on your buddy while he slept. So, what happened? What changed? How did things go so wrong from where they are now? Children are missing the opportunity to be kids. To grow; to learn; to have fun.
Remember when a first love was a boy and girl passing notes in school? A date consisted of a trip to the mall and the movies? And commitment was holding hands in between classes in front of your friends? Those were simple signs of, perhaps, a simpler time. Sex wasn’t a thought or a goal. A kiss was (maybe French if you were a senior in High school). Times have changed. I’ve kissed a total stranger in a bar. Something special has been lost, that playful innocence. Unfortunately, that is something that the youth of today don’t know or understand.
Remember when you were cool because you had a car? It didn’t matter what type – as long as you had wheels. My first car was a 1984 Beige Ford Escort Station Wagon – with no cassette deck. If I wanted a tape, I had to bring along a walkman with some external speakers to listen to. But, it was a car, and with it I could go places, visit people, transport friends. A lot of youth today don’t appreciate what they have. They see what others have, and want more. A nicer car; a bigger stereo; more; more; more. It’s a shame. How can you appreciate the little things, if you are always handed more than you need, and quite possibly, more than you deserve.
In your neighborhood, there were kids you were friends with, and the ones you didn’t care for. For your friends, your house was their house; their family was your family. If you were over, and they ate, so did you – even if it was just-after-church, in-your-best-clothes, Sunday Lunch. And your mom was OK with that, because your parents knew their parents. And we were all good neighbors. The kids you didn’t like, just meant you didn’t share your toys with them, or invite them to your birthday party.
When we were young, we weren’t handed everything, we made do. Remember those hot summer days; the sun baking down? Sprinklers on with that cold, sulfur smelling, well water, but it didn’t matter because it was cold, and it felt good. Then one of the neighborhood dads would bring out that roll of plastic to slide across the yard on. Remember? You’d get a running start, slam onto that hot plastic, on that hard ground, crack a few ribs, bruise and burn your stomach, and nipples, and slide face first off the plastic into that puddle of grass and mud, laughing. There was always one kid, maybe it was you, who would run onto the plastic, slide down it face first, hit that dry spot with a loud SCREECH, and end up rolling like a flipped NASCAR vehicle down the roll of plastic? We laughed. So would that kid, then we’d put more water down, and keep going. We were tough. We had to be. It wasn’t that tough bully way, but in that “skin your knee and get back up” way, because we were brought up like that, and to make do with what you had.
When you think back, that’s what youth was about, having fun. Not sex, or drugs, or who’s got the most, but laughing, smiling, and having a good time. Things were simple. Times were easier. We felt safe. Safe at school; safe at home; safe around the neighborhood. Isn’t that what counted? And, in the end, isn’t that what every child deserves? – A chance to be safe; a chance to laugh; a chance to be a kid.