What would you do for fun if the power
was turned off in your home & your phone battery went dead?
No...
TV, computer, Video Games, Facebook, Texting, IPods!
(It wouldn't be the end of the world!)
Essentially that's the way I grew up.
When I was young, fun did not require
batteries or electricity. We did not have
computers, video games, and we did not even own a TV until I was
about 10 and were only allowed to watch Flipper (dolphin)
and Daniel Boone. But my brothers
and sisters and I weren't deprived or bored... because we knew how to
play. When I was growing up we played outside most of
the time. We spent our childhood exploring, fishing, building forts and playing
strenuous physical games using balls and bats, sticks and stones.
Our world was anything within a mile or two. We walked or rode
our bikes when we wanted to go somewhere... parents would
not think of driving us to where our bikes would take us.
As a result we were healthy and strong. Not only did we
exercise our body, we developed our imaginations (the true toy
box of fun and entertainment.)
At the end of each
day we might climb into bed exhausted, but always anticipating our dreams
where we would continue the exciting journey of childhood in a land
where we could fly and where there were no chores. We seeded our dreams
with the plans of tomorrow's new adventure.
Snuggling under our covers in the darkness, we suddenly would
hear our father stomping up the stairs "Thump... Thump... Thump..."
to pray with us.
Sometimes after our prayers
our dad would tell us one of the many stories about "Johnny
McGregor" Nothing was better than
that! I can truly say... that the stories
told by my Father (as I was growing up)
were more exciting than any Hollywood production. The
images that played on the high definition screen of our minds were so real
we could smell and feel the characters. These
stories were his own variations of the Johnny McGregor stories
his father told him. I continued the tradition with my
own children, saying, "One day Johnny McGregor and
his brother and sister.... I challenge all parents
in this time of every form of high tech
entertainment... to go back to the
basics and start a tradition of telling your children and
grandchildren bed time stories
as you tuck them into bed. I guarantee they will enjoy
them and create a legacy of memories!
|