I was remembering a time when my dog ran free. That was in rural America in the 1960's, that was my childhood. Well the part of childhood I recall the most anyway. Born in '53, mostly I recall '63 through '71. That's the time frame I think of as being a kid. Yes, and that is what was said and thought back in those days, I was just a kid. That changed when I joined the Navy and returned home following basic training. I wasn't a kid anymore, just like that, I was given credit for being a man, whatever that was supposed to mean. But I'm remembering my childhood and what that was really like back then. As I said, my dog ran free. Unrestrained he was free to come and go as he pleased. There was no one complaining about that, no ordinance, no permission required from government. I did have to buy a dog license. I figured that was his "drivers" license, his license to roam. There were plenty of hours when it was just me and my dog running, playing, exploring and just running free together.
In a larger sense I am remembering when childhood was like that, not just for me, but all the other kids I grew up with. Yes our dogs ran free and so did we, to an extent. There were boundaries set, depending upon our maturity level and age. I do remember those boundaries expanding as I grew older. At first I wasn't to leave the yard. There was no fence, I wasn't under watch, I was just told what that limit was. It was my responsibility to obey those restrictions. Any infraction would be met with a tightening of the restrictions! I couldn't go outside at all! Over time I could roam the neighborhood, the woods behind my home, and eventually the entire town was open to me. All that was required of me was to be home "on time. " That meant suppertime, about 5 o'clock, unless I called and asked permission to do otherwise. Sometimes I would call, no one would answer, and that just meant, get home. No answering machine, no voice mail, none of that. If you didn't actually speak to a person on that phone, get your butt home!
There were dangers out there in the world and I was aware of that. The biggest danger wasn't from strangers though, there weren't that many strangers around, the danger was in my own choices. I was expected to make good choices. Allowed to have a BB gun when I was ten or maybe younger, I was expected to use that responsibly. I had been taught basic gun safety. Never bring that BB gun in the house while it is loaded. Dad would pick it up and shake it sometimes just to see if you were paying attention. Don't point that gun at anything you don't intend to shoot! Don't run with it! And don't shoot at the birds. Violate any of those rules, the gun disappears never to be seen again. That happened to me just once after Mom saw me shooting at a Robin. Never saw that BB gun again. I did get another one at a later time. There was the ocean and the bay. Those bodies of water were a danger as well. Drowning was a real possibility it you were careless and did something stupid. I can't say I was aware of any of that at the time but now I realize what lesson I was taught. The biggest dangers in life hinge upon the choices you make. Freedom comes with responsibility. That was the lesson. Freedom was earned, not granted was another part of that. Demonstrate you can be trusted to make sound decisions and you will be rewarded. One mistake could set you back a few days or a few weeks. We called that being grounded. No longer could you fly free. Happened to me a few times, for being stupid. It was lessons in risk and reward. Didn't take me that long to figure out that some things, even when being called names, just weren't worth the risk. What's a matter, you chicken? I'd answer, no I'm not a chicken, I'm smarter than that. Wasn't always true though, sometimes I was as dumb as a chicken.
I wonder if there are any places in America like that anymore? Surely there must be areas where that lifestyle continues. Perhaps it is out in the midwest, I've never been there. Generations living on the farm? Is that just a television story or do they really exist. According to the main stream media all that is disappearing, but I wonder. I am certain the things children are exposed to these days far exceed what I was exposed too. Many subjects just weren't talked about at all. I don't think that is a bad thing, although the narrative today is quite the opposite. Yeah, Dr. Spock, the baby doctor one, said don't spank your children. We are beginning to see how that worked out. He was talking about raising the generation now called baby boomers. A portion of those baby boomers became the hippies and freaks, those protesting the war, those dropping out and dropping in. I am a part of that generation although my parents were definitely not adherents to any Dr. Spock method of child rearing. I got spanked, I got yelled at, I got bullied and cajoled! I also had a wonderful childhood. I wasn't protesting anything having learned you pretty much get what you earn. Complaining about things didn't get you much.
Every generation wants better for their children. That's a given. The further we get from our childhood, the more we travel forward, the more we look back. Then we want to bring back that childhood, and give it to our own children, but better. We begin to eliminate those things that caused us trouble. I believe we all do that to a degree. It's a balance between what you took from your childhood as valuable lessons and what you took as punishment. You want to pass the lessons on, not the punishment. Problem being, sometimes the punishment is the lesson. But I'm thinking an important lesson is being lost on todays children. That lesson is a basic one. Freedom is earned, not granted.
In a larger sense I am remembering when childhood was like that, not just for me, but all the other kids I grew up with. Yes our dogs ran free and so did we, to an extent. There were boundaries set, depending upon our maturity level and age. I do remember those boundaries expanding as I grew older. At first I wasn't to leave the yard. There was no fence, I wasn't under watch, I was just told what that limit was. It was my responsibility to obey those restrictions. Any infraction would be met with a tightening of the restrictions! I couldn't go outside at all! Over time I could roam the neighborhood, the woods behind my home, and eventually the entire town was open to me. All that was required of me was to be home "on time. " That meant suppertime, about 5 o'clock, unless I called and asked permission to do otherwise. Sometimes I would call, no one would answer, and that just meant, get home. No answering machine, no voice mail, none of that. If you didn't actually speak to a person on that phone, get your butt home!
There were dangers out there in the world and I was aware of that. The biggest danger wasn't from strangers though, there weren't that many strangers around, the danger was in my own choices. I was expected to make good choices. Allowed to have a BB gun when I was ten or maybe younger, I was expected to use that responsibly. I had been taught basic gun safety. Never bring that BB gun in the house while it is loaded. Dad would pick it up and shake it sometimes just to see if you were paying attention. Don't point that gun at anything you don't intend to shoot! Don't run with it! And don't shoot at the birds. Violate any of those rules, the gun disappears never to be seen again. That happened to me just once after Mom saw me shooting at a Robin. Never saw that BB gun again. I did get another one at a later time. There was the ocean and the bay. Those bodies of water were a danger as well. Drowning was a real possibility it you were careless and did something stupid. I can't say I was aware of any of that at the time but now I realize what lesson I was taught. The biggest dangers in life hinge upon the choices you make. Freedom comes with responsibility. That was the lesson. Freedom was earned, not granted was another part of that. Demonstrate you can be trusted to make sound decisions and you will be rewarded. One mistake could set you back a few days or a few weeks. We called that being grounded. No longer could you fly free. Happened to me a few times, for being stupid. It was lessons in risk and reward. Didn't take me that long to figure out that some things, even when being called names, just weren't worth the risk. What's a matter, you chicken? I'd answer, no I'm not a chicken, I'm smarter than that. Wasn't always true though, sometimes I was as dumb as a chicken.
I wonder if there are any places in America like that anymore? Surely there must be areas where that lifestyle continues. Perhaps it is out in the midwest, I've never been there. Generations living on the farm? Is that just a television story or do they really exist. According to the main stream media all that is disappearing, but I wonder. I am certain the things children are exposed to these days far exceed what I was exposed too. Many subjects just weren't talked about at all. I don't think that is a bad thing, although the narrative today is quite the opposite. Yeah, Dr. Spock, the baby doctor one, said don't spank your children. We are beginning to see how that worked out. He was talking about raising the generation now called baby boomers. A portion of those baby boomers became the hippies and freaks, those protesting the war, those dropping out and dropping in. I am a part of that generation although my parents were definitely not adherents to any Dr. Spock method of child rearing. I got spanked, I got yelled at, I got bullied and cajoled! I also had a wonderful childhood. I wasn't protesting anything having learned you pretty much get what you earn. Complaining about things didn't get you much.
Every generation wants better for their children. That's a given. The further we get from our childhood, the more we travel forward, the more we look back. Then we want to bring back that childhood, and give it to our own children, but better. We begin to eliminate those things that caused us trouble. I believe we all do that to a degree. It's a balance between what you took from your childhood as valuable lessons and what you took as punishment. You want to pass the lessons on, not the punishment. Problem being, sometimes the punishment is the lesson. But I'm thinking an important lesson is being lost on todays children. That lesson is a basic one. Freedom is earned, not granted.
Re: your last line: NOT SO, according to the US Constitution
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