Red Light! Green Light!

I had a smiling moment yesterday. I smile a lot, but I saw something that touched my heart. I was pulling out of my subdivision and there was a little girl, probably somewhere between 8 & 10, playing hopscotch on her drive. HOPSCOTCH!! When was the last time you saw a kid playing a simple game like that? A game that isn't electronic? A game out in the fresh air?

I remember my childhood with my sister, cousins and neighborhood friends. We would play endlessly. Flashlight tag was always a big favorite. We loved playing flag football as well. You only went into the house to get a drink or relieve yourself. Outside was where it was at baby! You'd reluctantly say goodbye and go inside right before bed time....skin smelling like recess. Staight to the tub or shower then off to dream land.

I wonder if kids today did more of that...more of the simple things...if there'd be less problems with our youth. Last week a young boy here in Murfreesboro got into an altercation with another boy. Both were young teens. The boy went into the house and came out with a crossbow. Several kids managed to get the bow away from him, so the kid went back into the house and came out with a baseball bat and whacked the heck out of the other boy. This wasn't enough. He then went BACK inside and came out with a knife which he used to repeatedly stab the other kid's dog until it died.

What the heck is the deal? Yes, when we were young, there would be fusses, but we'd make up within minutes so that we could have fair teams, etc. Not once would we consider bringing out a weapon or even a baseball bat to incur bodily harm. That would be unthinkable! And heaven help your butt if mom or dad heard you being verbally ugly!! I'm just really concerned about the youth of today and where they're headed. If only we could go back to the days of "tag...you're it!!"