When you get older, I think it is natural to think back from where you came from, where you in life’s journey happened to make a turn or had an opportunity and you passed or took it, and where you ended up to date.

Some people make poor decisions with their habits that can adversely affect their relationships with others and be swallowed up with the blackness that accompanies those habits, or you can overcome and get your life on track.  Some do, some try and keep trying, and some never return to their former selves.

I am a product of the 1950s and 1960s, where being a kid was fun, carefree – an adventure.  I came home from school, changed into play clothes, and hit the woods behind the house with  neighbor friends.  I was told when the Pet Milk 5:00 factory whistle sounded it was time to get for home for supper.  We would wrap up what we were doing – playing cowboys and Indians, war, climbing trees or just exploring what was in the river.

Sometimes we would be hunting with our BB guns.  Yup, parents instructed you on how to handle a weapon, even a BB gun.  In all the years we used our BB guns, not one person lost an eye or was shot while using their guns.

As we grew older, BB guns were replaced with 22’s and shotguns.The police force then was Rick (Mr. Forest Rieichenbach) and Shorty (Mr. Eldon Milheim) and they knew all the kids roaming the streets.  If someone got into trouble, they found out about it.  A visit to the parent’s home, and the ensuing punishment would be enough to never do it again.  You respected Rick and Shorty, because you didn’t want them stopping at your house.

The City Council was made up of business people and a few concerned citizens.  Both conservative and liberal. They all seemed to get along and were congenial towards one another.  They even had gatherings at each other’s houses to eat dinner and have a drink or two.  I never saw anyone or knew of anyone inebriated at those gatherings, everyone seemed to get along.School Board members were made up of business owners and spirited citizens.

Budgets were discussed and settled, money appropriated. Back then, if you made $4,000 – $7,000 per year, that was considered good money).  Both my parents worked and we had two incomes providing vacations, a house, a new car once in a while – were happy.I had grandparents to stay with (both grandparents and great-grandparents) when my parents would be out late to a gathering, party, or weekend vacation up north.

I knew a family that I was close to that every Saturday night, people would show up with a few beers and instruments to pick and play country music.  Some were people I didn’t know, others had kids I went to school with.  Sometimes they would sit around a fire outside and play, other times they would go in the living room and play.  I always enjoyed listening and singing along if I knew the songs.  A few guitars, banjo, bass, fiddle, maybe a horn or saxophone would show up to play.  You never knew who would show up.  I just remember the laughter and fun going on for hours.

Then jr. high and high school – sports, girls, sports, cars, auto shop, girls, sports – you get the idea.  I loved everything about school – all my friends were there and it was a fun place to learn.  I had my first beer at 15 – I remember it well, a Pabst Blue Ribbon.   But some people get into the habit of drinking while young and I never had that problem because I had sports and knew if I got caught, I would be suspended.  That was the end of the beer for a while.

While it was a different time, I don’t think times have changed that much that kids can’t be kids.  I just think most of the parents don’t know what their kids are doing (or not).  Maybe some just don’t care, they are so wrapped up into their own lives they don’t have time for kids.  Everyone I knew had parents, there were a few divorced, but the large majority were married and loved their children and it showed.

The city of Wayland had a population of 2019 in my last year of high school.  It has doubled to 4,079 as of the 2010 census (and probably higher now).  What kind of budget does the City Council and School Board have to deal with today – only slightly twice what is was in the late 1960s?  I doubt it.  Are people on the City Council and School Board truly the best and have the town and school’s best interests at heart when conducting business for each?

Yes, it was a different time when I was a kid.  But are kids that much different today?  I doubt it.  But the parents, media, and society certainly are.

The rotting of America from within continues…