Author:
Marco
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Date Posted: 18:01:00 07/22/13 Mon
>>>>Another column picked up from the paper that readers
>>>>might enjoy:
>>>>
>>>>----------
>>>>
>>>>"School's out for the summer," Alice Cooper sang a
>>>>good many years ago. You can still hear it on rock
>>>>oldies stations, I guess, although I don't listen to
>>>>them any more. It reminds me of a time too far gone
>>>by.
>>>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>I know I was, lo those many years ago. It meant
>>>>hanging out at the lake and a lot of other fun
>>things.
>>>>School getting out for the summer was one thing to
>>>>look forward to over the many slow, bleak months of
>>>>winter when my spirit was confined to a dull
>>>>classroom. Then, summer went past all too quickly.
>>>>Some things never change.
>>>>
>>>>Back then, summer was a time to be outside, to have
>>>>fun, to explore on my bike, go swimming with
>friends.
>>>>This was in the days before home air conditioning
>was
>>>>common, and it could get awfully uncomfortable
>>inside;
>>>>it could be a lot cooler to be in the shade outside
>>>>with the breeze blowing.
>>>>
>>>>I'll have to admit there's a certain amount of
>>>>selectivity in my memories of those days -- I
>>probably
>>>>don't have as much memory of things that weren't as
>>>>much fun.
>>>>
>>>>Up until the time I was in the middle of high
>school,
>>>>my grandparents had a house near ours, and they had
>>an
>>>>acre and a half or two acres or so of lawn. My folks
>>>>had about as much, and some of it on a steep hill.
>>>>Being young and available, I was detailed to mow all
>>>>of it -- with a push mower. Let's just say it wasn't
>>a
>>>>relaxing process of sitting in the seat and
>steering.
>>>>It took days to do it all, and if I got the least
>bit
>>>>lazy by reading or spending time at the lake the
>>>>lawns would be ready to start over again by the time
>>I
>>>>got them done. That may have something to do with
>the
>>>>fact that I still hate mowing lawns. As far as I'm
>>>>concerned, they're inexorable and evil.
>>>>
>>>>Then there were the chickens. My grandparents kept
>>>>several hundred of them, and guess who got to feed
>>>>them and collect the eggs? Worse, chickens produce
>>>>more manure than they do eggs, at least as far as my
>>>>memory goes, and that got to be a rather smelly pain
>>>>in the neck to deal with, too. As a result, I can
>>>>occasionally manage to eat eggs, but my tolerance
>for
>>>>eating chicken is still very limited, mostly because
>>>>we had a lot of it.
>>>>
>>>>All in all, I didn't lack much for things to do in
>>the
>>>>summer. I suppose there were times when I was bored
>>>>and didn't know what to do, but there weren't many
>of
>>>>them. But even with all that, I hardly looked
>forward
>>>>with anticipation to going back to school in the
>>fall.
>>>>All the yard work and chores was still vastly
>>>>preferable to sitting in a dull classroom.
>>>>
>>>>Now, all this is leading up to a point, and that is
>>>>that times must have changed somewhere along the
>way.
>>>>I know that when I get out and drive around town in
>>>>the summer, I hardly ever see kids, even using the
>>>>playgrounds at the parks. They're empty on a nice
>>>>summer afternoon. Where are the kids? Good question
>>--
>>>>I have to assume that they're inside, sitting next
>to
>>>>the air conditioner, playing video games or
>>something.
>>>>
>>>>Now, I know that's not always the case. There are at
>>>>least a few kids that are mowing lawns, doing chores
>>>>around the place and whatnot, or have summer jobs or
>>>>something -- it's just that I don't seem to see
>them.
>>>>
>>>>There are organized summer recreation activities,
>>>>especially for the younger kids -- but on the odd
>>>>occasion I've checked them out over the years, there
>>>>doesn't seem to be a lot of interest there, either.
>>>>The buses to the pool we used to have in this town
>>are
>>>>long gone, due to lack of participation.
>>>>
>>>>Like I said, times have to have changed. Maybe it's
>>>>for the good -- but I doubt it. Kids, get out and
>>play
>>>>a little. It's summer! Don't let it go to waste!
>Fall
>>>>and school comes all too soon!
>>>
>>>I agree with you a 100% about mowing lawns. I was
>>>using a push mower in my early 40s, a self-propelled
>>>mower in my late 40s and early 50s and a small rider
>>>in my later 50s. Of course my waist line increased as
>>>I went along. Now I just pay some guys to do it. In
>>>the Gulf South, it seems like summer lasts eight
>>>months so I'm glad for the cooler weather when we
>>>don't have to run the A/C.
>>>>But school is out for the summer, and I suppose
>there
>>>>are a lot of kids relieved about it.
>>
>>Well i know that here in The Netherlands. the
>>Government local or national is one of the sources why
>>kids don't get out so much any more.
>>i mean when i was 14 i could still be in a group of
>>kids and just walk around or sit around outside, but
>>when i was 19 and joined the police force i was told
>>to tell kids doing that to move a long and not form
>>groups.
>>Now this was one of the major things that i hated to
>>do so mostly i talked with the kids.
>>But i still don't understand that a government that
>>nags about kids sitting around at home growing fat and
>>lazy would do that.
>>Its counted as a fact that now days kids grouping up
>>are seen as a threat to public safety and order.
>>When i was that young sure we where up to some no good
>>but hey we where kids. But it seems that now kids have
>>to be grown up the moment they are born, no more time
>>to play or have a little fun with friends outside.
>>so yeah schools out for them but they are still slaves
>>to society.
>
>How terribly sad! However, it show the level of fear
>that a large chunck of modern day society now lives
>with!
yes and that is not caused by the terror of 9-11 but it has made it a lot worse though, because this kind of thing was happening at least 2 years before 9-11-2001 and I experienced that day as a turning point for the way the police worked,I mean all of a sudden we had to get special training and learn stuff we did not need before.
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