Youth
When I look back at pics from my youth I think of how carefree we were: pigtails, Slurpees, comic books, 4 of us across the back seat of a car with no seatbelts, Star Wars, trampolines, kickball, Super Friends, earth shoes, patchwork, The Brady Bunch, and full access to thermal geysers in national parks.
Of course, the beauty of youth is that I remember the 70's as a great time to be a kid, but that's only because I lacked insight into the war, the oil crisis, Watergate and terrorism. Phew.
I wonder sometimes about the state of children growing up in this world today but I guess anytime can be a great time as long as you're creating good memories - however vast or simple they may be. Those kids on Little House on the Prairie had it rough but they all seemed pretty happy by the final season. Of course, they also had more insight into real life problems like deadly wagon accidents, dysentery, guns and death. But still, I bet they'd look back with fondness.
I see my nieces back east spending their weekends at the Jersey shore and think, that's going to be an awesome childhood. In fact, I'm trying to figure out how to wrangle my way there just to break out the baby oil, go body surfing and relive the memories of my teenage years spent at Belmar where I may or may not have met Tom Cruise.
Point is, when I see photos from my youth I feel grateful that I have good memories. I mean, let's be clear - I have my baggage and that stuff starts the minute you're born, but the beauty of aging is that the details blur - the fighting just before the photo opp, the tantrums, the endless hours on a family road trip in a car with no air conditioning and your brother swearing he'd get car sick if he didn't always sit up front. The good outweigh the bad and I look at a childhood that my Mom tried hard to craft in my favor to create positive memories.
Thanks, Mom.
Of course, the beauty of youth is that I remember the 70's as a great time to be a kid, but that's only because I lacked insight into the war, the oil crisis, Watergate and terrorism. Phew.
I wonder sometimes about the state of children growing up in this world today but I guess anytime can be a great time as long as you're creating good memories - however vast or simple they may be. Those kids on Little House on the Prairie had it rough but they all seemed pretty happy by the final season. Of course, they also had more insight into real life problems like deadly wagon accidents, dysentery, guns and death. But still, I bet they'd look back with fondness.
I see my nieces back east spending their weekends at the Jersey shore and think, that's going to be an awesome childhood. In fact, I'm trying to figure out how to wrangle my way there just to break out the baby oil, go body surfing and relive the memories of my teenage years spent at Belmar where I may or may not have met Tom Cruise.
Point is, when I see photos from my youth I feel grateful that I have good memories. I mean, let's be clear - I have my baggage and that stuff starts the minute you're born, but the beauty of aging is that the details blur - the fighting just before the photo opp, the tantrums, the endless hours on a family road trip in a car with no air conditioning and your brother swearing he'd get car sick if he didn't always sit up front. The good outweigh the bad and I look at a childhood that my Mom tried hard to craft in my favor to create positive memories.
Thanks, Mom.
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