Whenever I see episodes that show Opie and his many adventures in and around Mayberry, I can't keep from thinking how lucky people like me were, who grew up in a time and place like Mayberry. Opie's playground was vast and never ending. He had the entire town of Mayberry as a playground and it even extended to Crouch's Woods, Tucker's Lake, and Myer's Lake. His playground was open from sunrise to sunset and even beyond. There were no playground supervisors to set the rules or settle disputes. Each new day was a new adventure and a great learning experience.
Like Opie's, my childhood playground also had no boundaries. It encompassed the entire small town of Dorchester. It included the town dump, Rau's Woods, the old stone quarry, the mill pond, and everything in between and beyond. During my entire childhood I never had one organized activity during my summer vacations and after school times. My time was my own and what I did was totally up to my friends and me. When we played a game of touch football or baseball we established the rules and we settled any disputes. I now live in a very safe and well established neighborhood with an excellent school just around the corner. The school has a large playground equipped with many pieces of playground equipment. However, in the 22 years that I have lived at this location, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have seen a group of kids playing at the playground without any adult supervision. I am amazed how quiet our neighborhood is during the summer months although we have many children. I imagine they are either at day care or else involved in organized activities at their school, church, or other such organization. We have had a record snowfall this winter, yet rarely have I seen a child outside building a snow fort, a snow man or having an old fashioned snowball fight. ( I guess snowball fights probably have been outlawed like playing cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers.) So much for my "philosophical meanderings" and "childhood reminiscing". Guess I should get with the times and go purchase a smart phone, an I Pod, and a Kindle, so I have something better to do with my time. -- Ken Anderson The Mayberry Guru 2906 May Street Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701 www.themayberryguru.com www.mayberryreflections.com _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
