Confessions

In a way, we had a lot of freedoms as kids that most kids now could never even dream of. Lots of free time, and the freedom to roam. Not only did we not have to tell where we were going when we left the house to play outside, we didn't have to say when we'd we back. Guess it was assumed we would eventually get hungry, and our stomachs would keep track of the time. No arranged play dates, no cell phone summons. Coulda played a few houses down or a few blocks away or walked to Grandma's house or the store. Nobody worried, in fact, my mom often locked the doors so we couldn't come back in and she could have some peace. It was a perfectly SAFE world.


It was safe in ways that seem really unsafe now. Like the dangerous practice of burning piles and piles of leaves in the backyard in the fall---that singular, wonderful smell.

In fact, who'd heard of pollution? There was no trash pick up. You burned your trash in a metal can in the backyard! The original fire pit. Yep, we'd even roast our hot dogs AND marshmallows on sticks over burning piles of trash when we wanted to barbecue. And we lived! All of us!!

As for eating healthy, I think the only vegetable we ever ate that wasn't out of the can was raw potatoes with a little salt. Everyday when getting home from school, that was our snack. Every day. I know I must have had a carrot or radish here and there, but pretty rare. But then in the summers, it was all more than made up for by that amazing ubiquitous sweet corn.

Illinois was nothing if not a cornfield, and we would drive out to the country for fresh corn. When we got home, I would have to shuck it right there on the driveway, and wrap the husks and silks in newpaper, so no mess came in the house. My mom was a fastidious housekeeper, cooking a less elevated art in her book. But oh, how delicious was that sweet corn. Not possible anymore to find anything that tastes that good. Simply. Not. Possible.