indianajo
Well-Known Member
I entertain occasionally some great grandchildren of a member during the sermon, drawing subjects the minister talks about. I say nice things about their drawings. We sit with a basket of crayons in the second row in front of the congregation, and talk quietly. These little kids got all excited when they were 3 when I rode by the great grandparent's house on my bike. It's waaay out in the country. I bought them a $1 ball and played catch with them in the yard which they seemed to find novel, since their great grandmother seems mostly dedicated to making sure they stay quiet.
When I was 3 I rode the seat on the front of Mother's bicycle to performances she gave at the grade school. I thought that was cool. I thought Dad's car was cooler, and dreamed of driving it age 4, but when I got to be 7 and was given a bicycle, I was thrilled at the idea. I could go 3 times as fast as I could on foot, and get even 2 blocks away from the parents. Wow!
The great grandchildren were given an electric car age 4. Now they don't think playing ball in the yard is anything special. Instant gratification! A motor vehicle! They don't see playing ball for fun as even cool. They are in T-ball, where sport is a competition, with winners and losers. What is the point of movement without being better than somebody else? They don't come to church as often, they are at the lake with their parents in a nice motor home. There are probably boats & water sports. Sitting & coloring drawings doesn't rate.
So what is cool about a bicycle? Mom's SUV is obviously better, especially as she hauls the kids everywhere. My parents bought me a bike age 11 and stopped Mom's taxi service at the same time. It was 99 degrees summers in Houston and 99% humidity all the time. They sprayed DDT on the streets in big clouds. I didn't die! I'd skin my knees occasionally skidding on gravel. Whoops. I didn't wear a helmet. Most parents now are even afraid to let their kids ride the school bus, unless they meet them at the bus stop. Not hauling your kid personally to school is almost child abuse.
Times have changed. Do it yourself is for homeowners, not kids. Everything for a kid now is organized, in groups. Pdoz's australian bicycle club is good for bicycle riding, but has turned bicycle riding into a team sport. I saw bicycle age 12 as transportation available to the kid without begging. Kids are supposed to beg for everything now, the parent is the enabler. My parents found me neighborhood jobs age 8, and I was finding jobs myself by age 12. Dad let me use his mower. I didn't need to ask for school supplies, or musical instrument lessons or supplies, or by age 15, even clothes. I bought them myself out of money I earned. If a parent found jobs for an 8 year old (cleaning gutters) these days, he'd be turned in as a child abuser.
When I was 3 I rode the seat on the front of Mother's bicycle to performances she gave at the grade school. I thought that was cool. I thought Dad's car was cooler, and dreamed of driving it age 4, but when I got to be 7 and was given a bicycle, I was thrilled at the idea. I could go 3 times as fast as I could on foot, and get even 2 blocks away from the parents. Wow!
The great grandchildren were given an electric car age 4. Now they don't think playing ball in the yard is anything special. Instant gratification! A motor vehicle! They don't see playing ball for fun as even cool. They are in T-ball, where sport is a competition, with winners and losers. What is the point of movement without being better than somebody else? They don't come to church as often, they are at the lake with their parents in a nice motor home. There are probably boats & water sports. Sitting & coloring drawings doesn't rate.
So what is cool about a bicycle? Mom's SUV is obviously better, especially as she hauls the kids everywhere. My parents bought me a bike age 11 and stopped Mom's taxi service at the same time. It was 99 degrees summers in Houston and 99% humidity all the time. They sprayed DDT on the streets in big clouds. I didn't die! I'd skin my knees occasionally skidding on gravel. Whoops. I didn't wear a helmet. Most parents now are even afraid to let their kids ride the school bus, unless they meet them at the bus stop. Not hauling your kid personally to school is almost child abuse.
Times have changed. Do it yourself is for homeowners, not kids. Everything for a kid now is organized, in groups. Pdoz's australian bicycle club is good for bicycle riding, but has turned bicycle riding into a team sport. I saw bicycle age 12 as transportation available to the kid without begging. Kids are supposed to beg for everything now, the parent is the enabler. My parents found me neighborhood jobs age 8, and I was finding jobs myself by age 12. Dad let me use his mower. I didn't need to ask for school supplies, or musical instrument lessons or supplies, or by age 15, even clothes. I bought them myself out of money I earned. If a parent found jobs for an 8 year old (cleaning gutters) these days, he'd be turned in as a child abuser.
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Come to think of it, you can only fit 5 kids in a twin cab ute -no wonder society us falling apart. At least with the old pajero they could bring a few friends along .
