When I was a child growing up we didn’t have play dates or anything like that. I was definitely a free range child. Granted my range was severely limited until I was twelve or so, I was supposed to be within hailing distance. That was dependent upon how loud my mother could yell. I had best be in listening distance! Where I lived it was generally quiet, no industry, no sounds of traffic, just the sounds of nature for the most part. Over time I would be sent on various errands that would take me out of that range, I might be sent to the corner store, shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes. “Don’t make me come looking for you!” That was always the warning, and yes it was a warning!

I think I was about 12 when I was allowed to roam on my bicycle much further. I was always given a time frame to be back home, no excuses, you had best be back. I would then ride uptown, as we called it, and into the village. It was a distance of about three miles and sure felt like freedom! Still, I was aware there was an entire surveillance system in place, any missteps would be reported back to my parents, sometimes even before I got back home. It didn’t feel I was being watched though, it felt more like I was being trusted. I didn’t want to break that trust.

I think it was that lack of “supervision” that developed my sense of responsibility. Although, to be honest about it it was the fear of accountability that tempered my actions more than anything else. It wasn’t a feeling of “finding out”, it was the knowledge that it was a certainty. I was guilty until proven innocent and the judge wasn’t going to be lenient. And that became a habit, that realization of accountability, even when I went contrary to that. Like everyone else I did have to test those boundaries. I occasionally test them even to this day.

I’m thinking that is generally missing today. Children just aren’t raised in that way anymore. Has the world become more dangerous? I don’t know about that, but I certainly do hear about that. Child molesters, random killings and all that. I never heard much about that stuff growing up. I was told not to hitch-hike but I did on more than one occasion. Was it really that great a risk? Well, I guess it was, but nothing ever went wrong. Just blind luck?

I do think that kids today are too closely monitored when they are younger. Some freedom must be given to them and they should be just left alone, to fend for themselves, that’s how they learn. Out of sight of my mother or father I learned a lot of stuff that came in handy. I learned about consequences. Jump off the roof and it hurts! There were all those lessons about risk and reward. I did learn that the majority of the time, it wasn’t worth it. A lesson I carry with me to this day. It has been said, fortune favors the bold, but being reckless will lead to disaster!

Today we have social media that is influencing our children. There is a lot of discussion surrounding all of that. In my day all we had was the boob tube and my parents certainly limited that. Well, we only had the one tv and daytime television wasn’t for children. Kids should be outside and not underfoot while Mom is doing her thing.

All that is quite different now and I’m thinking not for the better. Growing up I wasn’t connected to the world wide web, I was connected to my own little world and only exposed to the wider world a little at a time. That, in my opinion, was a very good thing. I wasn’t overwhelmed by things I couldn’t understand. It does take time to learn and to process information. Too much, too soon is never a good thing. I’m still learning. It takes time.

If that call included your middle name, you had best be running home!