I may be a bit bias but I had one of the best childhoods any kid could ever ask for. My brother and I went on so many adventures and I can thank living in the country for that. We were very self-sufficient and easily entertained. The thing is we were happy playing outside and using our imagination and that’s all we needed to make the great memories we have.

One of our favorite activities to do that included the neighbor boy was riding our wagons down this huge hill. You had to pray you didn’t wipe out on your way down or that if you did it was in the prairie grass rather than the road. We got quite the road rash from that one. When the weather wasn’t outside play appropriate we just substituted the wagon for a laundry basket and the hill for the stairs. Let me tell you, that one time I missed the pillows and hit the wall I felt like my nose hit the back of my skull but my brother and I still laugh about it today. If you were wondering the laundry basket did not survive that ride either and I can’t say my mom was too thrilled.

We were quite the little daredevils but we also kept it safe, too. The little houses we would make out of shoe boxes for our Neo Pets were intense. My little brother managed to work out working “air conditioning” and running water. Granted this was a balloon pump, a water bottle, and a couple straws but still that’s pretty innovative for a seven-year-old. For all you 90s kids out there you may remember the computer game The Oregon Trail and during the hype of this game we decided to take it outside with our wagons, once again, and our dad’s camping and hunting gear and would pretend to be on the Oregon Trail which was, in reality, the 4-wheeling track our dad made for us.

However, my favorite childhood activity would be when we would wander the ravine going to our favorite tire swing and fort that kids before us had left behind. That tire swing was my happy place and I even carried that into my older years taking my senior pictures there. I felt like I had so much freedom on my adventures growing up and my parents let us explore because the country was safe. We just needed to be home by dinner time.

This was before cellphones, computer and video games definitely were not at the level they are now and TV really wasn’t more interesting than going outside. I’ve realized how kids these days may be losing their imaginations and that breaks my heart. When everything else is gone you will still have your imagination but kids these days aren’t even being given a chance to use it. My hope is that they are at least allotted the chance to see how playing with the ideas that pop into your head is so much better than angry birds on your smart phone. So as adults encourage creativity in children, tell them to go outside and to just be back before dark and not to come back sooner unless they are bleeding or dying. Maybe then these children will be lucky enough to have a childhood like mine.

P.S.

Thanks, Mom & Dad.