In 1983, childhood was so different, it’s almost hard to fathom. As you’ll see in this giddy vintage video, kids were zooming around playing BIKE TAG without adult supervision (or helmets).
Endless nostalgia, however, doesn’t help our cause. I share this with you to simply remind us of what our young are capable of: Bravery, camaraderie, some folly and some risk. All of which add up to…well, it looks a lot like happiness. The psychologists would probably say these kids are self-actualized and self-organized. I say they are the jolt we need to help us to loosen our own grip on childhood. After all, it’s summer. And they are kids.
Kudos to tennis champ/coach/promoter Vic Braden for creating this video for his show way back when, “Vic’s Vacant Lot.”
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To me, much that might be regarded risky challenges us, pushing our boundaries. I can’t imagine learning to ride a bike without falling several times. In the long run, confronting some risks is a necessary part of a successful upbringing (and continuing to learn as an adult). believe many risks I took rendered me safer in the long run. Like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIcGuFnl7ZU
That’s actually how kids are growing up these days in countries like Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, etc. There’s a lot more freedom there. Americans seem to be loaded with moral panic and, in this regard, are far more culturally conservative than any of the post-communist countries. Who would have guessed, lol.