I miss my childhood.
I remember always being outside and with friends, just roaming around the neighborhood looking for something to do. We use to play baseball, soccer, kickball, and even tag at like 9:30 p.m. before the town curfew. My friends and I were always climbing trees and running around pretending we were superheros and searching for the villans at the park.
I miss those days, because as I grew up, I've noticed my imagination slipping away. I use to be able to sit in the sandbox, hours on end making a castle that was being attacked, or making a big mountian which the hot wheel cars would race up.
Playing house, and cops and robbers suddenly became obsolete around the time when video games became more and more realistic. I no longer had to imangine anything because the people were right there in front of me. The story already layed out and all I had to do was follow the path.
This world has become so high tech, everyone is just sitting inside, watching the latest movie on the HDTV, pausing live TV so they can grab something from the kitchen, and rocking out to the latest video game complete with drums, guitar, bass, and mic.
Now I'm not putting any of these ideas down, because I do enjoy Rock Band. I admitt it is fun and addicting. But I miss recess. I miss running around the neighborhood. I miss being outside, and all the fun that came with it. And I try to get out there, but it's not as I remember it.
I'm not going to let this get me down though. Maybe through example, people will begin to see what they've left behind and will come out. I'd hate to leave you with just this one thought, but school is cancelled, there's fresh packing snow on the ground, and I'm going to go out and make a snowman.
Never let growing up take away your childhood.
For three years, I lived in a house where the kids were both under 10. Both of the kids have a TV and computer in their room, they both have iPods, They have arcade style games in their basement, as well as a playstation 2, a big screen TV, and TiVo. Where do you think these kids and most of their friends spend their time? Outside playing on the trampoline and in the clubhouse.
Although kids have been getting better and better understanding of technology at a younger age, the desire to go out an play is more prevalent.
Technology is an adolescent disease, and now thanks to more popular emphasis on group play, its not as big of a deal as it once was. Kids are no longer sitting alone in their rooms playing RPG's for hours on end, they are having parties to play Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, or Cooking Mama!
-----------------------------------
"Jesus take the wheeeeel!"
"I'm not sure she really understands how it works..."
this reminds me of the quote growing older is inevitable, but "growing up" is optional. as a child growing up in the 90s i've compared the way things were for me to how they are today. it's so strange to see how our culture has changed as far as childhood goes. it's kind of sad.
Tis really shows that not all progress is good. Progress for the sake of progress, which is what the media is doing, isn't a good idea.