Yesterday I was looking for an item and came across this summer time column I wrote some time back. It just jumped out at me and I decided to send it again - I hope you like it and feel the same way about summer. Enjoy
For whatever reason, summer brings a bout of nostalgia to me. Maybe it is because of those summertime songs that used to play way back when. Maybe it is because they were music and one didn't have to scratch the surface of the record to make noise instead of harmony. Many of you all will remember "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer," sung by Nat King Cole; "Summertime, and the Livin' Is Easy;" "Lazy Bone;" and even "Take Me Out To the Ball Game."  Those songs from a far away "when" make summer seem to be the time to kick back and unwind.
Unfortunately, in our modern rush to be modern, we have lost much of the old summertime feeling. It appears as if there is as much pressure to work 28 hours a day during summer as during the rest of the year. Some people are afraid to take their vacation as they are afraid of being laid-off if they do. Their bosses demand they put in too many days and too many hours.
Dadgummit, that is not what summer is all about. Summer is about the soul and how to become a human being again and how to live, at least partially, a simpler life. Some people actually get to do this and return their spirits to their psyche and slow down during the summer. After all, going full speed is hard on tires, suspension, engine and all its many, many parts and the occupants of any vehicle. Why do "you" think going full speed in the summertime is any easier on you?
It ain't.
Now let's go back a little. No, let's go back a far piece. Let us meander to when many, probably most, lived in what was called a neighborhood. Kids from one neighborhood played outside and sometimes even made up games. Rules to existing games were quite often vaguely enforced unless there was the odd person who actually knew them. But that didn't always help the enjoyment.
Softball teams may have as many as 16 on one side and we played work-up" if there wasn't enough for two teams. Just about any vacant lot or field could be used for a ball game and getting dirty was just part of summer. As I remember, the dirtier one got the more fun they obviously had. I don't think that was just the guys in my neighborhood, I suspect it was fairly universal.
Girls could play softball with the boys but it didn't happen often. Some girls were better than many boys and that was not the thing boys wanted to have happen during a game. Girls were not allowed to play marbles although this was not a written law. It just did not happen. Oh, somewhere, somewhen there were girls who could play marbles but I never saw them. Thank goodness. I was bad enough at marbles that getting beaten by a girl would have been more than I could have been able to bear.
This next part just couldn't happen today in most of our world. We would leave for someone's house to play and would end up hours later somewhere else. We would try to get home before dark because if Mom didn't see us about dark O'clock, she would worry. When Mom worried, you were in trouble, big time. Now imagine a kid today here in Tulsa saying, "I am going to Lloyd Ray's," and ending up several hours later several blocks away with a completely different bunch of kids. In those days it just happened as naturally as breathing. Today? Today the 911 police would be called and a massive search would be launched - with good reason.
While we were out doing what kids did best, Mom could get the house cleaned, washing done, ironing done and maybe even run to town since there were no kids underfoot. She also knew that if that kid  (those kids) did anything bad enough she would get a report from several other mothers who had either seen the action or had heard about it. Occasionally, but not often, those reporting hens even didn't exaggerate -- much.
After we were old enough to go swimming we were told to be careful and be home before dark. We did not have a list of do's and don't's as we had already received that list starting at birth - or earlier. Swimming was just as dangerous in those days and cow ponds just as filthy, but not to us. If it was wet and deep enough to jump in, we did. I know there are many and untold advantages for kids to grow up in today's world and I certainly do not discount nor begrudge any of them.
But I have my memories and I very much like to visit that world.