back in time on a summer’s day
when your parents thought
you and your friends of all ages
were just pedaling around the block for hours
but in that time you really
explored abandoned houses and those still under construction
built your own underground fort
jumped in the mud to see if it was quicksand
left your socks behind
met a new kid
balanced on a a board going over the water to get to the other side
found a golf ball
explored the gravel pit
rolled down a hill backwards
shared snacks that fell in the dirt
had the best day ever
every single day.
—
“keep your children wild, don’t make them grow up too fast.”
– brooke hampton
What an adventure you must’ve had.
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every day was something new, filled with adventure
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Ah! Those were the days! 🎶🎵
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some of the best times –
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Indeed.
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If you are looking to fill your life with something, fill it with exploration. Great post, Beth! Sounds like the perfect day.
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right, that’s the way to go, brad –
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We need to turn off the computer, the TV and the radio. At least once a week.
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yes, at least – so true
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That sounds just like the summer holidays of my youth, Beth.
Best wishes, Pete.
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wonderful days…
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And no doubt you thought your kids were just riding around the block too! 😉
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yes, and then I remembered ….)
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Childhood, the best exploration of all!
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kids know what to do quite naturally -)
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I was the goody-two-shoes in our family! I didn’t even ride around the block – just up and down on our street. I left the exploration to my brothers, Mark and Brad.
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someone had to do it!
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I remember.. it was fun. Now activities (for all ages) have to be organised, with no real freedom. The of course you heading ‘ Wilding’ has been melded into rewilding, a laudable cause but sadly used as an excuse to do nothing…but that’s another grouse 😃
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yes, it’s certainly changed a lot over time
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No regrets for the ‘explorations’ of my youth! Thanks for those memories.
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same here !
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I am both thrilled and envious as I watch my ten year old granddaughter have one of those magical summers.
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those days are pure magic
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That’s how childhood should be! How things have changed.
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yes, sadly. I still see some of it, but not the norm for most
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Yes, Beth, every day held endless possibilities, I remember.
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right, no idea what would happen and we loved it, I know you know
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We grew up in The Day, Beth, we sure did.
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indeed!
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I knew we were soul sisters. Those were the best days of this lifetime.
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yes, so so agree with you, other beth )
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A child’s summer, as it should be. Full of curiosity and wonder.
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that’s so right!
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I had to look up Brooke Hampton:
https://kidadl.com/quotes/best-brooke-hampton-quotes-from-the-inspiring-author-and-blogger
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thanks!
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Those were the days!
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indeed!
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We grew up with no screens, no expectations, and different rules. It was a different world.
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yes, and I hope some find their way back to this old style of adventure and freedom
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Boy, me too!
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There is some to be said for unsupervised childhood days.
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a lot to be said for this –
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As a parent, sometimes ignorance IS bliss, or we’d all have gray hair three years after the last kid was born:)
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oh, I so agree!
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Sadly, far too many of these simple joys have been replaced by the act of staring into an electronic device for hours…
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so sad, indeed –
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Oh, the carefree days of our youth. My memories differ from yours in that I lived on a farm and had only my siblings as playmates. But none-the-less, those were wonderful summers filled with imaginative play. Wild, yes. That last quote is one every young parent today needs to read. Let kids be kids. They are growing up way too fast.
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I think so too, and what lovely memories you must have of that time –
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…and managed to stay alive!
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right! and lived to tell…)
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As a youngster, I was sure I could ride my bike the three miles to my grandparents home. And I did. But man, my legs were soooo sore that night. Mom came to get me…and the bike rode home in the trunk.
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a learning experience )
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Sometimes I think “if my Mom had only known”. Growing up in the country had other memories and chief among them was playing Spin the Bottle under a bridge. Can a kiss really be called a first kiss when you are 12 years old and in the company of several others? At least I could say I kissed Kenny — the class heart throb!
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yay! yes for sure – great memories
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To your list I would add clipping playing cards to the spokes to generate an appropriate sound and finding the stray pup that follows you home (“Mom, can I keep him, pleeese?”)
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Yesssssss
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Susan, we didn‘t have playing cards but I did envy the kids (boys only!) who had them….. swoosh!
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❤️
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This is a perfect poem.
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Oh, thank you so much
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We were free to become what we would. Solve our own problems, figure out the way the world worked and all unsupervised by adults who had their own way of thinking. We were the lucky generations. No phones, no tracking devices, just freedom. It was wonderful, like this post of memories.
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That’s exactly it! Ty-)
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Yeah but the time we rode through the water being released from the fire hydrant didn’t go so well…
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All trial and error )
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“What were you thinking?” yelled dad. “Wet brakes?” My brother and I had a head on collision, hurt each other, couldn’t stop and broke our bikes… We got the “money doesn’t grow on trees” lecture
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Always something-
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Ah, yes! Those times were so fantastic. I am happy that I had them. Thanks for bringing back priceless memories, Beth.
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Absolutely my pleasure
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Oh my good heavens, that was me! I even had a bike that looked like that!
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Sister!
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Oh Beth! This is EXACTLY what I lament about today’s children. They are stuck with helicopter parents who are so afraid that they hold them back from discovering all these beautiful (and sometimes painful) things. I so would not want to be a child today. In our day, we had a freedom to learn and discover and oh my…
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such a different feel to childhood now in many cases
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So true.
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Dale, so true! Same here.
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🙂
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That’s so true, and awesome. It was just like that. All the things hidden from adult eyes, like magic.
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yes, that’s it –
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We had to create our fun with our imaginations.
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that’s it, Pete –
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terrific writing , Beth; the best way to spend a childhood: wild and free 🙂 great quote 🙂
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thanks so much, and I agree, it’s the best way
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Brought back so many happy memories. Lovely!
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I’m so glad
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Here is the latecomer! Sounds like my childhood story, although I was older then your average kid of today. I had to work to buy my first 2nd (4th?) hand bike. But THEN I went off like a rocket. With my younger sister on her rollerskates holding on to the back of the bike, I went the several kilometers (some 18+) to our grandmother’s village, nearly falling over the rails crossing at impossible angles the road we took – but never actually going to see granny, because….. had ANYBODY known we would have gotten severely punished. One of my great kid’s memories awakened here!
But also: How FREE we were! Nobody wanting to know too much as long as we were back and sound by dinner time…..
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great memories and yes!
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Fun times!
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yes!
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👍
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I love this so much. So true. Sigh. Days gone by.
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Wonderful days –
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Indeed.
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Yes, yes Beth, I did all that. Omg, there was that scary abandoned haunted house… across from my grandparents where I wasn’t allowed to go…… but I did.
Do children do that now? Or only if it’s an adventure game on their phone or tablet?
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some do, but not nearly as many It seems
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Times change!
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Yes, that’s the best childhood. I wish every kid had those experiences. Fabulous quote!
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Me too –
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Those were the days *sigh* love the bike! I want one like it! Purple is my favorite color!
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I loved them )
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