As an old guy, I spend ever increasing amounts of time thinking about my youth, comparing it with others of some years. I suppose kids are as happy and well adjusted today as back then. Who knows? I don't care.

One fellow, considerably younger, who grew up in the area, tells me one of his major, year-around occupations was to play "smear-the-queer," (or, as told to parents, "tackle-the-guy-with-the-ball.") Organized football was too tame, too slow. A kid would pick up the ball and run. He would be chased down, brutally tackled and forced to fumble. Then a kid would pick up...That went on for years until bodies matured and hardened, and his older brother blew out his knee. Other favorite projects included brush fires; sharpening popsicle sticks like a knife and stabbing each other; throwing rocks at each other in "battle"; getting hit by cars. Another fellow tells me of playing neighborhood baseball, pick up games all day and until you couldn't see the ball. He said you would only go home to eat and sleep and, if really forced to, chores.

Together with my neighborhood buddies, we spent a lot of time in the hills, building forts, fighting with dirt clods, and hunting with slingshots or bow and arrow. Once I was mouthing off to a mate and he got so mad he shot me in the stomach with a metal-tipped arrow. A few times I recall throwing clods at trucks and even cars, and of course spitting on cars from the bridge. There were always contests of one sort or other, and the loser for each round would get slugged in the right bicep (assuming the loser was right-handed). Geez, was it sweet when we could get someone to tear up. We played touch football in a narrow residential street, and tackle football at the park, with no protection, usually barefoot. Once a pass sailed long and onto the Pasadena Freeway. Since it was my football, I had to get it, and quickly or the guys would split. So rather than doing the prudent thing and go over a nearby bridge and hop the fence near the ball, I ran completely across the freeway, both ways. Of course I was faster then. During the school year, we would play before school, at recess, lunch, and after school on the playground. I played Little League baseball one season and didn't like it much. Too organized, regimented.

We loved to bike. We went on long trips, all day stuff. We would race down anything. Once I lost control and careened out onto a busy street and t-boned a passing car. I was shaken but not hurt. I put a big dent in the lady's car, but she didn't care about it, only concerned I wasn’t hurt. I only wanted to get away before she took my name. And I did.

Dads of today are much more involved with their kid's lives, almost a pal. Back when, dads were too busy for that. Maybe a little bit with Little League, playing catch, but that's was about it. I played sports all through high school, and my dad never came to one event. Most dads didn't. Mostly, that was ok with us. We would be ashamed if a dad was perceived as your pal, a guy you would ever hang with. In my high schools years, I hardly talked to my dad, and most of my buddies were the same with their dad. What did he know?

Again, maybe the way it is now here in yuppieland is better. But to me, it just seems way too regimented, bland, dull, inward, and squishy-soft. Kids are overly protected. And it's troubling to me to not see kids out playing...on bikes, playing pick-up games in the parks, hiking, exploring...