I grew up in a small town in Ohio. When I was a child, eating out at a restaurant was a big deal. Fast food restaurants were just a rare happening. A hot dog or hamburger with fries from outside the home was the best. This world does not exist anymore.

When we got home from school we did our homework and our chores before going out to play. We did not have air conditioning. If you were hot, you turned on the fan. Outside if it was hot we ran through our sprinklers which were the same that were used to water the lawn. If you were too sick to go to school or church you were also too sick to see your friends, play ball or go outside.

We ate dinner at the table. We went to school every day. There was no taking or picking you up in the car, you walked! If it rained we still walked.

Our phone hung on the wall in the kitchen and had a cord attached to it, there were no private conversations or cell phones! Everyone in the household shared the same phone number. We played Cowboys and Indians, and Cops and Robbers, 1,2,3 Not It, Red Light Green Light, Kick the Can, Tag, Hide & Seek, Truth or Dare, Freeze Tag, Baseball, Football, Army, Whiffle Ball, Basketball, Spud, Red Rover, Man Hunt, jump rope, hopscotch and rode our bikes EVERYWHERE!! We climbed trees high as we could and sat there for hours. We didn’t go to summer camp; the local schools were our playground. Staying in the house was a punishment and the only thing we knew about "bored"--- "You better find something to do before I find it for you!"

We ate what mom made for dinner or we ate nothing at all. And if you asked mom what she was making the only answer you got was "food". There was no bottled water; we drank from the tap or the garden hose that always had warm water first before it ran cold.

We watched cartoons on Saturday mornings, rode our bikes for hours around the neighborhood. We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING. All of the neighborhood kids were friends. If someone had a fight, that's what it was and we were friends again a week later, if not SOONER. We played 'til dark, sunset was our curfew and we didn't dare make our parents come looking for us.

School was mandatory and teachers were people who you could TRUST and RESPECT. We watched our MOUTHS around our elders because ALL of our Aunts, Uncles, Grandpas and Grandmas AND our Parent's best friends were also our PARENTS (they COULD & WOULD SMACK YOU) and you didn't want them telling your PARENTS if you misbehaved. And if you DID misbehave, your parents knew about it before YOU even got home! We learned to RESPECT others and their things.

I loved my childhood. I wouldn’t trade those memories or those friendships for anything.

I grew up in a small town in Ohio. When I was a child, eating out at a restaurant was a big deal. Fast food restaurants were just a rare happening. A hot dog or hamburger with fries from outside the home was the best. This world does not exist anymore.

When we got home from school we did our homework and our chores before going out to play. We did not have air conditioning. If you were hot, you turned on the fan. Outside if it was hot we ran through our sprinklers which were the same that were used to water the lawn. If you were too sick to go to school or church you were also too sick to see your friends, play ball or go outside.

We ate dinner at the table. We went to school every day. There was no taking or picking you up in the car, you walked! If it rained we still walked.

Our phone hung on the wall in the kitchen and had a cord attached to it, there were no private conversations or cell phones! Everyone in the household shared the same phone number. We played Cowboys and Indians, and Cops and Robbers, 1,2,3 Not It, Red Light Green Light, Kick the Can, Tag, Hide & Seek, Truth or Dare, Freeze Tag, Baseball, Football, Army, Whiffle Ball, Basketball, Spud, Red Rover, Man Hunt, jump rope, hopscotch and rode our bikes EVERYWHERE!! We climbed trees high as we could and sat there for hours. We didn’t go to summer camp; the local schools were our playground. Staying in the house was a punishment and the only thing we knew about "bored"--- "You better find something to do before I find it for you!"

We ate what mom made for dinner or we ate nothing at all. And if you asked mom what she was making the only answer you got was "food". There was no bottled water; we drank from the tap or the garden hose that always had warm water first before it ran cold.

We watched cartoons on Saturday mornings, rode our bikes for hours around the neighborhood. We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING. All of the neighborhood kids were friends. If someone had a fight, that's what it was and we were friends again a week later, if not SOONER. We played 'til dark, sunset was our curfew and we didn't dare make our parents come looking for us.

School was mandatory and teachers were people who you could TRUST and RESPECT. We watched our MOUTHS around our elders because ALL of our Aunts, Uncles, Grandpas and Grandmas AND our Parent's best friends were also our PARENTS (they COULD & WOULD SMACK YOU) and you didn't want them telling your PARENTS if you misbehaved. And if you DID misbehave, your parents knew about it before YOU even got home! We learned to RESPECT others and their things.

I loved my childhood. I wouldn’t trade those memories or those friendships for anything.