May 2006

Week One & Two

Today's Kids Lucky?

~ Lois M. Reed, Arizona Farm Wife

Today our five youngsters, ages six to sixteen, were bored. Yes, bored! With all the things a child ought to be doing: climbing to the peak of the haymow to make friends with the pigeons, then parachuting with an old umbrella down to the hay below; sliding down the snowy roof of the cow shed on an old dishpan or scoop shovel, walking over drifts; in spring, rolling down haystacks, walking barrels, practicing tumbling on the plowed field, snaring gophers with binder twine, or walking a mile to climb a favorite tree. My, there are willow whistles to be made, windmills to whittle, swimming in the neighbor's stock tank...

Are today's kids lucky? I really wonder. What has happened to the old pleasures we knew? We made our own sun-baked marbles, kept pet owls, snakes, turtles, and birds and had names for them all.

Twice a year, maybe, we got a whole quarter for our trip to town. How many kids today can get a thrill from owning a whole package of gum?

We worked, too. All summer, we stacked hay, did chores, worked in the garden, washed clothes on a washboard, packed water, herded cows and sheep--those were the jobs we did "free."

We bought our school clothes with money earned from the "paying" jobs--picking corn, shearing sheep at ten cents a head or shocking grain for two cents a shock.

We loved school and didn't just put in time and feel that when we were sixteen it would be like getting out of prison. School was vacation from work and we enjoyed it--even walking a mile cross country to get there.

Evenings we played cards, danced, played the old accordion or the organ we bought at an auction for five dollars. We weren't always busy with television movies, and other things that aren't really fun and that leave kids bored.

I can't remember my parents ever saying, "Now get to bed, kids!" We were usually tired enough that we wanted to go to bed.

Over the weekend there were softball games in someone's pasture and everyone played. We'd like to do it now; but even if my husband and I could get friends interested, I guess I don't have time either. I'm too busy using my new washer and dryer, cleaning the bathroom, polishing the range or bleaching the sink and taking care of all the labor-saving devices I have. Or figuring out a way to earn a little extra money to help make the monthly payments on same, or to buy something else for our kids that they need just because all the other kids have it.

Then I think of the hours spent at meetings, trying to plan youth centers and projects to give our kids something to do. We've got something for them to do right here at home if we'd stay home and take the time to show them what real fun is!

I confess, I'm as guilty as anyone, trying to find happiness in "things," buying my kids "packaged fun" at the toy store.

I'm going to stop treating my children as though they are a completely different breed. Kids are kids and I'm out to show them that genuine fun is the kind you make... Come on, all of you, we're going to snare some gophers!

Week Three

"Everything has been thought of before, but the difficulty is to think of it again."
~ Goethe

Week Four

"A task without vision is drudgery; a vision without a task is a dream; a task with a vision is victory."
~ Anonymous

Week Five

"The only one who ever made a success of running people down is the elevator operator."
~ Author Unknown

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