A conversation I had with a coworker today got me thinking.
He was talking about his daughter celebrating her birthday today and somehow that led to a comparison of how our children live today in contrast to how we lived growing up. And that got me to thinking...
As far as I can tell, it's a miracle that any of us are still alive. We rode with no bike helmets, in cars with no seat belts, no car seats. For those who had parents with vans, take the seats out and sit on the floor so you can stretch out and play... even better. If they had a pick-up truck, well yee-haw, jump in back and let the wind sing to you for the ride. Our parents let us play in dirt all the live-long day and except for the obligatory before meals wash-up and end-of-day bath, we were never clean. We lived in rooms with lead paint, had mercury in our fillings, and I for one spent countless Christmas holidays driving to and from Florida with my two chain-smoking parents in the car... windows rolled up... without my seatbelt on. Not to mention the other 16 years in the smoke-filled house.
We left to "go outside and play" first thing in the morning, checked in at lunch (sometimes) and came home right after the street lights came on.
We didn't have cell phones, pagers, BlackBerrys or anything of that nature to check in with home or have them check in on us. If we were really lucky we had walkie-talkies that reached around the corner of the house on a good day with fresh batteries.
Look both ways before you cross the street... Don't talk to strangers.... As far as I can recall, those were the nuggets of safety-based wisdom that were drilled into us... Oh ya, and that wacky "don't do drugs" movie in grade seven health class that had those crazy kids thinking the burner on the stove was really a flower. That didn't end well.
And yet here we are... no worse for wear (well, maybe a little bit but really not much).
Knowing all we know now about the dangers that surround us, and what we used to "pull off" when we were younger, no wonder we've become so protective of our children and aware of our surroundings. How could we not be? I can't imagine, as a parent, not worrying constantly about my boys... and I know in their own ways, our parents worried constantly about us (although I'm not sure what about).
But oh how I loved having the whole day to fill with adventures.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Buckle Up
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2 comments:
It saddens me to see no kids playing outside anymore.
The lack of discipline, gratitude, respect and common sense in today's children is really disconcerting as well IMHO. Most of them, anyways. I'm also saddened by the loss of innocence and unconditional camaraderie that used to exist in days of yore, what. I mean, they don't know how good they have it now.
Kids used to be fun to have around. I should know - I used to be one. Heh.
Anyhow, I just do my best to inculcate in them a myriad sense of decorum, street smarts and a touch of wonder that will help them be independent and socially-conscious in the long run. Yes, I know that, at the end of the day, it's ultimately their choice to be who they want to be, like, no matter what I do.
Still, I can't help but wonder what the future will be like if I did nothing at all to empower and uplift them when they needed it. The future keeps getting dimmer and dimmer every time we lose someone, regardless if we care about them or not. I've lost too many people over the years and it keeps getting much more challenging to move forward after each loss.
Then again, the struggle for life is the only struggle worth living for and worth fighting for...
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