The Good Ol' Days

Recently, I was communicating via email with a friend from high school. She was talking about when we were in grade school and used to have disco dance-offs. Even though I have forgotten that particular recess activity, how fun!!!!

I do, however, remember other things. I remember playing kickball. I remember being naive. I remember teachers being concerned because the kids (boyand girl couples)were holding hands on the playground. I remember the pain of telling my mother "I am too old to wear ruffles and lace now Mom." I remember being obnoxious to substiute teachers (something I have paid dearly for in recent years). I remember selling fundraiser stuff and thinking that I was the greatest salesperson in the world. I remember the hurt of not making pee wee cheerleader.

Now, we had our fair share of hardships. I remember one boy getting caught with illegal drugs in 4th grade (he got it from his parents stash). But, overall, we can look back and say we were pretty sheltered in our younger days (or at least most of us).

Having said all of that......Almighty God please be with our children! Times have changed. Not all is bad. I like to sit and watch my daughter play on the playground with her little friends. It all seems so innocent much like we were. But, the things that parents (most of them our age and younger) allow their precious young ones to be exposed. Kids have more access to information through the media than we did.

I don't think I want to know exactly what my child knows. We were watching TV together the other day and they were reviewing a book that had the word "Sex" in the title. It was on the evening news so I know it wasn't porn or anything. Moriah says "Gross! Did you hear that word he said?" The news guy repeated the title. "That is so disgusting!" she retorted. I wanted so bad to ask but my heart just ached and what the actual answer would be. I am not sticking my head in the sand. I have asked this question on a different too-young-to-know phrase that came up before and I literally felt my body melt and ooze out of the chair in which I was sitting when I got the answer.

So, I guess all things considered, it is still safe to say, "Oh! To be young again!" But, oh to be young again in the 1970s (to steal a quote from my 9 year old). I wouldn't want to be growing up in today's world and dealing with what my daughter does.