By Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Whatever happened to good ‘ol clean fun? I was cycling past a neighborhood last weekend and the first thing I heard was the sound of generators - the big, loud sort. I wondered who had lost power and why, but when I got closer, I saw that the generators were powering a large, blown up play land of sorts that kids where jumping and sliding on, their screams of delight drowned out by the engines required to keep the contraptions blown up to their one-story height.

This was obviously a well-intended day of community fun gone astray. I couldn’t help but think back to my own kidhood when our neighborhood hosted an annual Summer Frisbee tournament. We set up markers in an open space at the end of the block where various contests and games that went on into the night. I remember lots of homemade food, lemonade, and music. Between games, we played leapfrog and horseshoes and waded in the creek, cooling off and looking for crayfish.

The adults also participated, running the games and giving the kids tips on Frisbee skills - I remember that each year I got a little bit better at throwing, something I felt proud of. As it was getting dark, the kids would all gather to toss the discs skyward and watch the bats dive after them as we ran for cover. The night would end with a few sparklers and s’mores. As a kid, there wasn’t much else I needed to have a perfect day.

How sad that having fun as a kid has gotten so complicated, expensive and “dirty”! What ever happened to the days of croquet, jump rope, and kick ball? I know we all want our kids to have the latest and best of experiences, but sometimes we lose perspective regarding what actually serves them best. These kind of games were not only fun, but provided exercise and a challenge to our developing motor skills. And, as I pedaled on that day, away from the noise and smell of gasoline, I realized, that the only energy required was that of our bodies.

Tags: community, culture

This entry was posted on Friday, June 8th, 2007 at 1:08 pm and is filed under Green Misc.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.