In a time that is long gone, in a land that seems infinitely far away, I used to walk to school. .7 mile. I used to walk places. I picked up the groceries. Visited friends. Rode my bike.
That time is never coming back, and it’s impossible to go back to that place.
It’s a different world now. The trust that held us together as a society is gone. Now there’s crime and kidnapping. And the streets are impossible to cross, when you’re a little kid.
It really was like that. It isn’t any more. If the politicians were serious about keeping us safe by throwing the criminals in jail for a long time, I wouldn’t be posting this.
I’m afraid I have to agree; I’d never let a young daughter of mine do the things I was free to do as a kid.
Maybe there are still some little pockets in the US where the streets - and schools! - are still safe for kids; but I don’t know where they are.
That time is never coming back, and it’s impossible to go back to that place.
Statistically, it was worse back then than it is now.
Uncle Sam moved me and my family to San Diego. My two boys (14, 12) met friends who take public transportation everywhere (it's free for schoolchildren).
I relented at first because I was protective. And then I realized, the only way my kids are going to learn self-sufficiency and independence is if I throttle back on the leash.
Now I'll let my boys take the Coaster Train from San Diego to LA, grab a bite to eat, and come back.
Am I worried? Sure! But this is the world they're inheriting and they need to know how to navigate it.
I'd be doing them a disservice if I never allowed them to experience it. And they'll grow in to better men for it.
I used to walk to school. .7 mile. I used to walk places. I picked up the groceries. Visited friends. Rode my bike.
That time is never coming back, and it’s impossible to go back to that place.
= = =
I would like to walk the train tracks, bike down to the river, stop at a friend’s house, ... like those days long age.
But today, I’d carry.