Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the difference between living during the forties and fifties and now. What a contrast! When I was a kid, admittedly that was a long time ago, there was not much concern about the safety of children as it is today. I don't remember my parents restricting my adventurous journeys around my birth town of Goldsboro. I know Goldsboro was nothing like New York or other large cities, but today I believe the attitude of the citizens of most small cities is no different than that of the citizens of large cities. From all I read, it is downright dangerous for young kids to be unattended in any size town.
I remember walking to school, no not five miles in the snow. But it was across town. I lived on the south side and the elementary school was on the north west side of town. I made this walk every day by myself, and I was less than ten years old. Do you think that would be possible today? I don't, certainly not without great concern for the child's safety. I don't remember ever being threatened, approached by anyone, harassed, or in any way uncomfortable in my trek across town. I had to walk through the main part of town, down Center Street, for most of the way. Of course, this gave me plenty of distractions, interesting places to investigate on the way to and from school.
I was somewhat of a street urchin. Meaning I spent a lot of time after school and on the weekends investigating the wonderfully mysterious areas of town that most people never thought about. I remember checking out the pool hall on my way home one day. That was a most enlightening adventure and I was quite rapidly removed from the premises. I remember there was a popcorn machine outside the pool hall. You put a dime in the slot and held a white paper bag under the dispenser and it would be filled with popcorn. That was the best popcorn. I learned that if you stuck your hand up the dispenser and flipped the right switch, you could get the popcorn for free.
The only concern we kids had was the "old witch" that lived about two blocks away. In our minds she was a real witch. Her house was the one which was always used to "double dog dare" other kids to approach. She would take food to the cemetery and leave it on a grave. I know, a friend and I watched her from a freshly dug grave just a couple of plots away. We always thought she was taking food to her husband.
I also remember my mom sending me to the store to get a bag of potato chips--at night--in the dark--by myself. I don't remember thinking anymore of that than had it been during the day. You just did not have the concerns that are so prevalent and so real today. I wonder why that is?
I believe it is because the progressive liberals such as the "American Communist Liberals Union," ACLU, is hell bent on removing any mention of God and the name Jesus Christ from all public view and eventually public memory. The differences in the way life was then and now cannot be denied. And as far as I am concerned, neither can the reason why! If the progressive liberals don't acknowledge this soon, this nation will continue its decline into oblivion. Look at history, it has happened time and time again.
Come quickly November!
