Missing lazy days of youthful summers

The Way I See It


 

 

Ahhh … to be excited that school is out for three months and your only worry is if you will get to watch your favorite soap opera or make it to the pool that day.

Like most, I miss those days of summer when I was still in school.

My only “job” when I was young was to clean my room and try not to mess up the rest of the house.

Living in the country (i.e. not in a neighborhood), I had to come up with my own fun many times.

Besides climbing and swinging in our huge oak tree, I found myself collecting rocks and doing weird arts and crafts. (See above notation of not messing up the house).

I think of kids now and they would have died of boredom during my summers. We only had four channels – 4, 5, 12 and 9 if it was a good day.

For much of my youth, we only had air conditioning in our den and only one TV. We spent a lot of time outside, because we all couldn’t agree on what to watch. Arguing kids are not welcomed inside for some strange reason. We were shooed outside.

I made mud pies and busied myself by drawing out a houseplan in our dirt road. Pitiful, right? That is also where I lost my favorite topaz birthstone ring. I took it off to keep it from getting ruined and promptly forgot it. When I realized it after going to bed that night, my mom said we’d get it in the morning.

A huge rainstorm hit that night and the next morning, our sandy lane had swallowed up that ring – never to be seen again. Our sandy lane was also difficult to ride bikes on as well. When I was a bit older, I was allowed to cross FM476 and ride on the paved streets in Halpin Estate/Encino Acres. Pure bliss! And when I could ride it to my friend’s house in Oak Forest and into town I thought I was in heaven.

There was one thing that I learned early not to say “I’m bored.” As soon as those words were uttered, you had no idea how your day would fill up with extra chores – cleaning your closet, the pump house etc.

The way I see it, here’s hoping the kids out this summer don’t get too bored and that their parents don’t lose their cool – literally and figuratively!

SUE BROWN is the editor of the Pleasanton Express. Contact her at sbrown@pleasantonexpress.com or write at P.O. Drawer 880, Pleasanton, TX 78064.


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