Power Generation

When you were a kid, did you play outdoors? In your neighborhood? Did you hear those words Go outside and play often? I did. Every day unless it was dreadful weather.

I loved to climb my neighbors sycamore tree, ride my bike, play fetch with the dog and there were always lots of kids in the neighborhood to play some game or other. Big kids and little kids played together. It did not matter what school or church or synagogue we went to or NOT. What mattered was that we were all within earshot of someones parents and we played in each others yard for different reasons.

The slate patio in my yard was better for jump rope than the grassy slope of Patty’s yard. Eddies driveway was slick black pavement so it was great for skating and handball. Sometimes we collected lightning bugs in jars from everyone’s yard and then took the glass jars into a big tent in our yard. We would go off on some wild imaginary adventure in the dark using our bug lights until someone was called home

Every summer our poor pets performed in our little circus acts. We pretended they were trained beasts. We had clowns and magicians and acrobats and even music. It was a lot of fun putting the whole thing together and then performing in front of our grandmothers who gathered on our patio for the hilarious event.

I never knew where the refreshments came from but somehow there was always a pitcher of lemonade and some cookies on the table for all to share. These parents kept us home after school and all through every vacation and we were outdoors most of the time. I never spent much time in the houses of my friends but we spent a lifetime together in our yards.

“Scout” was our favorite imaginary game. We gathered outdoor gear like army canteens, flashlights, and binoculars for spying. The time I borrowed my Dad’s Leupold binoculars for the game I really got in trouble. Mom said they were not toys and I had to treat them with more respect. Today I use those binoculars when I go birdwatching. I don’t let little kids use them either.

Why don’t we play in our backyards anymore? That is where we learned how to get along. No one told us about ‘developing social skills’. We did not allow fighting. Today it is common to have fights in school. Our neighborhoods are empty and quiet. Kids play along indoors with video games or TVs. Kids eat more junk food and get less active and get more fat every year.

We might all be healthier and have more wholesome neighborhoods if we spend more time outdoors. Instead, we protect our kids and keep everyone in safe and supervised group activities. So when we get together as families it is an awkward time and everyone retreats to their own space and does their own electronic thing. Lets create some healthy outdoor fun with our kids today.