They’ve started building in the wooded lot at the end of our street. Apparently, 20+ new homes are being constructed. When I was a 9 year-old boy, this would have been cause for much unbridled jubilation among my peers and I. Not the new houses, but the fact that there would be a giant, dirty, often muddy, crater-pitted, mountainous tract of land on which we could indulge in war, hide-and-seek, fort building, and other hijinks during the weekends and summers of our formative years.
That was then. This is now. I don’t think our son has even noticed the construction, much less ventured down for a look-see. What kind of New World Order is this?
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| Is this a relic from a bygone era? |
I spent most of my pre-teen years on a bike, going places I have not since ventured. Getting in and out of trouble was a big part of that. Not serious trouble, but the kind kids regularly find themselves in. My friends and I would usually be out of the house on a summer's day well before 8am, returning only as the sun was setting, usually blackened, minds afire dreaming about tomorrow's adventures.
This wouldn't happen today. Researchers say that a group of kids brought together will no longer spontaneously play, but rather wait for instructions on what to (or how to) play from the grown-ups. No doubt, this is a consequence of helicopter parenting, where kids don't go anywhere without a parent hovering close by. One could safely assume that the fear of abduction is the main reason why a child can no longer leave his backyard or driveway without adult supervision. Statistically speaking, however, your child is at no greater risk for abduction by a stranger today than they were 50 years ago. Of course, with Amber Alerts constantly in our face, you'd be forgiven if you thought otherwise.
I don't know exactly why our streets are no longer filled with kids on bikes, why every patch of grass doesn't lend itself to a soccer match or baseball game, or why hiding in the bushes while others try to find you on a summer's evening no longer appeals to the young, but I do know that every generation tends to shun that which was popular when their parents were children. We did the same and were sternly warned that we wouldn't amount to much. The fact that many of us actually did gives me reason to hope that it's not the end of the world for my son, either.
I don't know exactly why our streets are no longer filled with kids on bikes, why every patch of grass doesn't lend itself to a soccer match or baseball game, or why hiding in the bushes while others try to find you on a summer's evening no longer appeals to the young, but I do know that every generation tends to shun that which was popular when their parents were children. We did the same and were sternly warned that we wouldn't amount to much. The fact that many of us actually did gives me reason to hope that it's not the end of the world for my son, either.
