I miss a lot from the 1970s and 1980s when I was a child. I miss my parents, no doubt about it. My mom passed in 2005 and my dad in 2008 and not a day goes by when I do not think of them.
I was thinking though, beyond a person or people, what do I miss most from my childhood and the answer came quickly enough: Being able to play with friends outside with the only major care I had being who would get to be on whose team, or if my bike chain was tight enough.
I grew up as a pre-teen just as the whole coming in before dark phenomenon started. Growing up in metro Detroit in the mid-1970s we had the Oakland County Child Killer to deal with….when he came to be everything changed. Prior to his actions we could stay out until anytime basically, depending on our ages of course. Afterwards we were in before it got dark, doors that had suddenly remained opened got locked, we could not be by ourselves….we had to be with other friends, etc.
But even during this time what was important was being outside, having fun activities to do, having not a care in the world…..oh sure we thought we had huge cares….if we did not get chosen for a team, or the so and so new version of X Y or Z our lives would end… but looking back at it, life was a lot simpler and a lot more fun while we could just call up a friend or go knock on their door and just play….and play we did. Bike rides, softball, capture the flag.
Sigh...I miss those days.