I'm taking advantage of the free wi-fi at the airport (another reason I love Portland - most other airports charge a fee) to check-in and tell you two stories.
Story One: There once was an independent free spirited little girl named Susan. Her mother had taught her how to use public transit at a young age - the theory being if she ever WERE to be kidnapped, she'd have a chance of making it home if she escaped! Anyway, when Susan was in middle school and junior high, she used to take the Metro downtown and meet her mother for lunch. Her mom worked on Capitol Hill and it was always exciting to walk through the halls. Sometimes Susan would head down to the Smithsonian before or after lunch ostensibly to explore the museums. But what Susan really did most times was play a litte game called "I spy." No, not "I spy the Washington Monument" but "I spy a family from Kansas and will follow them around the Smithsonian all day." Seriously ... it was fun! So what if it was a little too much like stalking. The main point of it was really just to see my hometown through the eyes of out of town visitors. I especially liked seeing the sights through the eyes of families from foreign countries!
Story Two: This afternoon I took the light rail to the airport. Across the aisle from me were a brother and his sister. He's probably 13, she's probably 11. They were also headed to the airport, but I got the distinct impression they were headed there not to catch a plane or to meet someone but to play. Can't say I blame them .... it is airconditioned after all! Too bad they won't be able to get past security. On the train they were pretending that they were going to be late for their plane that left in 15 minutes! Then they were pretending that they were going to meet a long lost relative and didn't know if they'd recognize them. It was cute to see a brother and sister hanging out together and showing a vivid sense of imagination.
Now some of my bloggy readers may be horrified by these stories of pre-teen kids out and about in the city on their own. You may be concerned for their safety or suspicious about their activities. And there's a point to such concerns, which is why I always keep an eye on kids when they're on their own, even if I don't know them. But I also think that a lot has been lost in exchange for safety. Sometimes kids just need to be kids ... in the world not away from the world.
PS - thanks for the birthday wishes! It's been a really good day so far. I love being on vacation!
1 comment:
Oooh, sorry I missed your birthday! Know of my blessings and prayers for you as you continue to grow into the sister you (who is really the true you - whether you were becoming a sister or not). Anyway! I've been thinking about your summer activities and actively remembering my pre-entrance summer of sift-sort-toss (that's my community's way of saying it!) It was ten years ago this summer. It was hot in phoenix (even hotter as I was "living out of my car" by house sitting and traveling from friend to friend saying bye and saving rent money for debt reduction. Oh, I think I need to blog some of this as your comments are going to get filled up with my story if I go on. Yikes.
I hope your birthday was happy and that you remember this summer fondly!
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