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memories from childhood
- Thread starter hughewil
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2010
- Messages
- 148
On Saturdays and summers my days were spent with and on my Schwinn 3 speed.Though living on the edge of a major city some extensive wet lands were easily reached by bike. I enjoyed riding to the marsh areas even those adjacent to some industrial facilities. It was easy to observe Marsh hawks, swifts, herons, frogs, fish and so on. I delighted in showing these "secret" places to a few friends, though some resisted until we were old enough to have cars.
There used to be a tremendous bicycle culture when I was in elementary school. Now bikes seem to have been taken over by adults. At any rate my bike was my ride to the natural world. Heck, it was my ride to freedom.
There used to be a tremendous bicycle culture when I was in elementary school. Now bikes seem to have been taken over by adults. At any rate my bike was my ride to the natural world. Heck, it was my ride to freedom.
- Joined
- May 16, 2006
- Messages
- 615
Well, one thing's for sure, the times they are 'a changin'. I really hadn't thought about that when I posted before, but kids literally can't do the kinds of things I did as a pretty young guy just because of what our society has become. It never ceases to make me sad when I see a kid on a bicycle covered from head to toe with safety gear, and then when I think that most of it isn't even his/her parent's choice to dress 'em that way, but government regulation mandating all that crap, well, it drives me nuts.
I started surfing when I was like 7 or 8 years old. My cousin got me into it and he indulged my punk ass by taking me with him and his friends to the beach. By the time I was 9, I had torn up a Little Red Wagon, used one of the sets of wheels and the axle to make a kind of dolly, and tied two pieces of wood at a 45° angle to the sissy bar of my Stingray making a "V" that I could slip the nose of my board into, and towed my board to the beach with my bike when I couldn't go with my cousin. It looked kinda like this, only the board rested on its side instead of flat like this one:
3 miles there, 3 miles back after a long day of surfing. Even during the school year I went surfing before school for an hour or two, and then usually managed to ride onto school grounds with my board in-tow just before the bell rang for class.
By the time I was 10 or 11, I was hitchhiking down to the beach, or even went up to the mountains to visit friends a couple of times. Mom wasn't real keen on it at that age, but hitchin' wasn't looked at like it is now, which I guess is more like it's virtual suicide to even attempt nowadays.
Another thing that I was heavily involved in at a young age that will probably never be seen as child's play again, especially not in Kommiefornia, is I was on my high school rifle team from freshman through graduation. I owned my first .22 at age 9, and shot competitively through the YMCA and Boy's Club starting at 11. I ran away one time between my freshman and sophomore years and headed for Carbon Canyon out in the Mojave Desert to a cabin that a friend's dad owned, and where we'd gone many times to ride dirt bikes (something else that kids can't just go do any ol' where anymore because of government regulation...can't be raisin' no infernal-combustion-engine planet-killers, now can we!) and shoot rabbits. Well, when me and Kelly Preach took off, we had our .22s with us in rifle cases. Like 13 (me) and 15 (Kelly) years old, both of us carrying rifle cases, travelin' on our thumbs, got stopped and questioned by two different cops and all they asked us was if the rifles were loaded. "Nope." "OK, don't hitchhike on the freeway, and don't pull those guns out of their cases until you get to where you're going. Be careful and have fun." And they were outta there.
The things that my generation took for granted as rights of passage in those days would likely get parents arrested for child endangerment today. The truth is though, that I grew up ready to face any challenge because my mom not only let me do just that, but encouraged me to in most things, the one notable exception being that she was none too pleased that I ran away to the Mojave Desert! LOL She wasn't too pleased when I ran away and joined the Army a couple or three years later either, but that's another story.....well.....kinda, except that it wasn't a challenge that I was afraid to face even though I had a pretty good idea I was going to Nam, which I did. So Cal earthquakes didn't scare me, or I should say, I felt plenty prepared to deal with the aftermath even if I was a bit scared of 'em. I wasn't scared or insecure when the 'nadoes ripped through here in April either, even though I'm old and in the way and broken down way more than I care to admit or will allow myself to give into. I wonder what these kids that have to learn how to ride a bicycle with friggin' body armor on are going to be capable of doing on their own when their worlds get shattered by whatever, storms, earthquakes, economic meltdown, a world WROL (Without Rule Of Law). I don't think their parents are doing them any favors by holdin' 'em back from exploring their own strengths and limitations, and I know without a doubt that all the government regs are designed to turn them into dependent, spineless sheeple. How can they support, protect and defend freedom when they've never even tasted it?
Boy howdy, I better get outta here. I see a big ol' soap box sittin' right in front of me if I keep goin' down this track. But you youngins', get out there and do somethin' man. Push yourselves. Test yourselves. Allow yourselves to fail, learn from your failures and be proud of and build upon your successes. You probably already know that the easiest way to learn is by example. Learn also to live the example you wish for others to learn from you, and just do it. My oldest and best friend, Phil, may he RIP until I catch up to him and roust him outta whatever comfort zone he's gotten used to up there, used to always say, "Ain't nothin' to it but to do it." And guess what? He was always right! Just do it man. Live like there's no tomorrow, because I'm here to tell ya's, I've known since my oldest and best friend died in '94 that tomorrow is guaranteed to no man.
Blues
I started surfing when I was like 7 or 8 years old. My cousin got me into it and he indulged my punk ass by taking me with him and his friends to the beach. By the time I was 9, I had torn up a Little Red Wagon, used one of the sets of wheels and the axle to make a kind of dolly, and tied two pieces of wood at a 45° angle to the sissy bar of my Stingray making a "V" that I could slip the nose of my board into, and towed my board to the beach with my bike when I couldn't go with my cousin. It looked kinda like this, only the board rested on its side instead of flat like this one:
3 miles there, 3 miles back after a long day of surfing. Even during the school year I went surfing before school for an hour or two, and then usually managed to ride onto school grounds with my board in-tow just before the bell rang for class.
By the time I was 10 or 11, I was hitchhiking down to the beach, or even went up to the mountains to visit friends a couple of times. Mom wasn't real keen on it at that age, but hitchin' wasn't looked at like it is now, which I guess is more like it's virtual suicide to even attempt nowadays.
Another thing that I was heavily involved in at a young age that will probably never be seen as child's play again, especially not in Kommiefornia, is I was on my high school rifle team from freshman through graduation. I owned my first .22 at age 9, and shot competitively through the YMCA and Boy's Club starting at 11. I ran away one time between my freshman and sophomore years and headed for Carbon Canyon out in the Mojave Desert to a cabin that a friend's dad owned, and where we'd gone many times to ride dirt bikes (something else that kids can't just go do any ol' where anymore because of government regulation...can't be raisin' no infernal-combustion-engine planet-killers, now can we!) and shoot rabbits. Well, when me and Kelly Preach took off, we had our .22s with us in rifle cases. Like 13 (me) and 15 (Kelly) years old, both of us carrying rifle cases, travelin' on our thumbs, got stopped and questioned by two different cops and all they asked us was if the rifles were loaded. "Nope." "OK, don't hitchhike on the freeway, and don't pull those guns out of their cases until you get to where you're going. Be careful and have fun." And they were outta there.
The things that my generation took for granted as rights of passage in those days would likely get parents arrested for child endangerment today. The truth is though, that I grew up ready to face any challenge because my mom not only let me do just that, but encouraged me to in most things, the one notable exception being that she was none too pleased that I ran away to the Mojave Desert! LOL She wasn't too pleased when I ran away and joined the Army a couple or three years later either, but that's another story.....well.....kinda, except that it wasn't a challenge that I was afraid to face even though I had a pretty good idea I was going to Nam, which I did. So Cal earthquakes didn't scare me, or I should say, I felt plenty prepared to deal with the aftermath even if I was a bit scared of 'em. I wasn't scared or insecure when the 'nadoes ripped through here in April either, even though I'm old and in the way and broken down way more than I care to admit or will allow myself to give into. I wonder what these kids that have to learn how to ride a bicycle with friggin' body armor on are going to be capable of doing on their own when their worlds get shattered by whatever, storms, earthquakes, economic meltdown, a world WROL (Without Rule Of Law). I don't think their parents are doing them any favors by holdin' 'em back from exploring their own strengths and limitations, and I know without a doubt that all the government regs are designed to turn them into dependent, spineless sheeple. How can they support, protect and defend freedom when they've never even tasted it?
Boy howdy, I better get outta here. I see a big ol' soap box sittin' right in front of me if I keep goin' down this track. But you youngins', get out there and do somethin' man. Push yourselves. Test yourselves. Allow yourselves to fail, learn from your failures and be proud of and build upon your successes. You probably already know that the easiest way to learn is by example. Learn also to live the example you wish for others to learn from you, and just do it. My oldest and best friend, Phil, may he RIP until I catch up to him and roust him outta whatever comfort zone he's gotten used to up there, used to always say, "Ain't nothin' to it but to do it." And guess what? He was always right! Just do it man. Live like there's no tomorrow, because I'm here to tell ya's, I've known since my oldest and best friend died in '94 that tomorrow is guaranteed to no man.
Blues
My wife and I must be very lucky. My four year old son is an avid outdoors"man". We have been camping close to every other week this year. He loves to gather tinder and kindling for the fire. He can knock out a 5-7 mile hike without out ever asking to be carried. He actually leads the way. Just tonight as a matter of fact, my wife recorded him answering questions on how to process a dead bunny. He understands that we eat meat and we have to kill to procure meat. He even got out of bed a few weeks ago at 2am to come outside and watch/help me clean a rabbit.
I even gave him his own head lamp so he can go on night time treks into the woods with me. He knows it is a special piece of equipment and keeps it in its own cabinet along with his tactical training folder. Our biggest problem with him is telling him to come inside at night.
I would love to find some other like minded kids and parents around here to venture into the bush with but most of them are afraid their kids will get dirty or cry because they don't have TV.
I even gave him his own head lamp so he can go on night time treks into the woods with me. He knows it is a special piece of equipment and keeps it in its own cabinet along with his tactical training folder. Our biggest problem with him is telling him to come inside at night.
I would love to find some other like minded kids and parents around here to venture into the bush with but most of them are afraid their kids will get dirty or cry because they don't have TV.