NOW & THEN

I found a magazine laying around the house entitled AARP, which I imagine that Kathy had subscribed to. There is a short article about children that I would like to share with you. Do you think the little ones of today are missing out on really having a good time?

When we were kids, we played outside. Our bodies were hard-breathing little rainbows of energy and earth--red cheeks from running, brown hands from mud, green grass streaks on our pants. We dreamed of grandiose forts that never got built, had sword fights with sticks while riding our bikes (Okay, that was more of a boy thing). But we lived, baby. We lived! Unlike so many kids today, whose every micromanaged, remote control moment is seemingly spent indoors. Oh, how the play times have changed:

THEN
Eating wild berries
Climbing trees
Walking with pals along train tracks
Stickball
"Be Home by Dark" "
Summer Camp
Doing cannonballs off the high dive
Skinned knees
Jumping on a trampoline

NOW
Eating Lunchables on a play date
Allergy tests
Walking with parents on a leash
Xbox
"Answer your cell phone when I call"
Fat camp
Wearing floaties in the shallow end
Carpal tunnel
What's a trampoline?

I don't know about all of you guys, but I would not trade the times I had growing up for all the Xboxes in the world.