11-02-2007, 03:44 PM
Last night I attended the wake of a friend who lost his 25 y/o son. Jimmie the Mum also knew this guy and we were chatting. I was telling him how impressive it was with over 400 people who came to pay their last respects and the USMC there in full force with about 30 men in full dress, swords, gloves, the works, symbolically guarding every door and the casket. This kid served 2 tours in Iraq and came home only to die one morning in his car.
Jim then solemnly said: "You know, I know too many people who are losing their kids in their 20's". He added that is was mostly from car accidents.
At which point I blurted out what I've been thinking about... I said: "it's because we raise our kids too damn sterile!". I explained how when we were kids my favorite park thing to do was to play on the monkey bars. Steel pipes anchored in concrete. You'd climb maybe halfway, about 9 feet and yell for your mom to look beaming with pride. She'd look up and smile while responding: "That's good, go higher". Today nothing over 2 feet, all padded, too much damn protection. Can't even draw a 4 y/o's crayon rendition of a gun... Even cops are not allowed to shoot unless someone shoots at them first! (yeah, easy to understand that the person who made that rule isn't a cop).
I told Jim, by the time I got my license, I knew what it was like to fall 7 feet and come crashing down on concrete. Several times! I knew what it was like to play with rocks and get smashed in the head dozens of times. I had stitches so many times my doctor used to comment that he felt like doctor Frankenstein. And he was my GP. In the office with no locals. Non of this plastic surgeon hospital anestetized crap. So by the time I had my license I knew what pain was. Something inside of me knew that falling from 10 feet onto concrete hurt. A car accident has to hurt more. I truly understood why it was important to be careful. Today's kids are reckless. They have no respect for pain and need to break away form all the sterility. In my day Evil Knievel was just about the only daredevil around. Today the average 17 y/o with a skateboard and access to a 4 story hours roof is putting him to shame.
If we really want to protect our kids we need to let them get hurt a little. Get dirty. Explore fake guns and get it out of their system. Make this place less sterile and let nature take it;s course. Cause nature is a far better helmsmen.
Jim then solemnly said: "You know, I know too many people who are losing their kids in their 20's". He added that is was mostly from car accidents.
At which point I blurted out what I've been thinking about... I said: "it's because we raise our kids too damn sterile!". I explained how when we were kids my favorite park thing to do was to play on the monkey bars. Steel pipes anchored in concrete. You'd climb maybe halfway, about 9 feet and yell for your mom to look beaming with pride. She'd look up and smile while responding: "That's good, go higher". Today nothing over 2 feet, all padded, too much damn protection. Can't even draw a 4 y/o's crayon rendition of a gun... Even cops are not allowed to shoot unless someone shoots at them first! (yeah, easy to understand that the person who made that rule isn't a cop).
I told Jim, by the time I got my license, I knew what it was like to fall 7 feet and come crashing down on concrete. Several times! I knew what it was like to play with rocks and get smashed in the head dozens of times. I had stitches so many times my doctor used to comment that he felt like doctor Frankenstein. And he was my GP. In the office with no locals. Non of this plastic surgeon hospital anestetized crap. So by the time I had my license I knew what pain was. Something inside of me knew that falling from 10 feet onto concrete hurt. A car accident has to hurt more. I truly understood why it was important to be careful. Today's kids are reckless. They have no respect for pain and need to break away form all the sterility. In my day Evil Knievel was just about the only daredevil around. Today the average 17 y/o with a skateboard and access to a 4 story hours roof is putting him to shame.
If we really want to protect our kids we need to let them get hurt a little. Get dirty. Explore fake guns and get it out of their system. Make this place less sterile and let nature take it;s course. Cause nature is a far better helmsmen.
