Playtime

When we weren't dressing my poor Sis in ridiculous costumes...we rode bikes. We had swing sets and see-saws and monkey bars. Playing was our job; if we weren't in school, we played. In the summer, my uncle put up a net for badminton (above). Their back yard was much larger than ours, and wide open. We played games like tag and "Mother, May I?" and "Rock School." (Don't you worry, Bro 1, Rock School's gonna get its own post one day.) We belonged to the YMCA and swam whenever we could get someone to drive us there and back.

In the winter, we went sledding and tobogganing. We made snowmen and snow forts. We went ice skating. I don't know if they still do this, but my hometown used to ice over all the tennis courts in public parks, so nearly every neighborhood had a free ice rink. Both my dad and Uncle Bennie were very athletic. They bowled, and played softball, handball, basketball. They often took us swimming or skating; other than that, what and how to play was up to us. There was no parental involvement.

I was not athletic, particularly, but I was active. We all were. Television, at least in the early years, was severely restricted, and the television was never on if the sun was shining. I know one of the hazards of aging is idealizing your youth, but I have to tell you: I feel sorry for kids today. I wonder if there would be an obesity epidemic without tv, computers, and video games. So many modern conveniences have made our lives easier... but not better.