Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Birdie pontificates about kids these days

I drove past a large frozen puddle on my way home just now...it was frozen smooth, glass-like ice, perfect for skating. I wondered why there were no kids playing on it. We would have been, when I was young, and my own kids would have been, too.
It's a nice day for March in Minnesota--23 degrees, sunny, no wind--perfect for playing on whatever ice is around. A chunk of cardboard or a sled or skates...get the family dog and some friends, and that's all it would take to have fun.
But we've learned to fear in America.
We're programmed to be suspicious of everybody. News stories, even on public radio, are a constant barrage of 'new medical studies' that tell us we're eating all the wrong foods, breathing the wrong air and putting our faith in the wrong experts. We hear constantly about robbery, rapes, murders and abductions. Ads (from billboards to magazines to TV) teach us to worry:
"Nothing is safe"/"They're out to get you"/"Protect yourself!"
We've learned to LOCK everything. We keep the kids indoors (always with adult supervision) because "someone might take them", or they could hurt themselves.
But really, ARE there more predators then there used to be?
And, what's wrong with a skinned knee?
Is it truly wise to keep kids from ever being uncomfortable?
Are 'owies' actual tragedies, or can a kid learn from them?
Is a baby-carrier honest-to-gawd safer than carrying a kid in your arms?
Is it really 'Attention Deficit Disorder', or is it simply 'Too Many Video Games'?
(Bottom line? I wanted to go play on the ice....!) Ice Skating

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