New Seniors

It was a safer time when we were growing up or we just didn’t know about the dangers lurking in the shadows. Either way, the kids in Philadelphia where I lived were out of the house first thing on those summer mornings. If we weren’t playing in the neighborhood, the boys went off to the park for a pick up game of baseball. After going home for lunch, it was back on the streets again. Maybe this time we’d walk a few blocks to the community playground with swings, monkey bars and lots of supervised activities, plus the chance to play various sports such as baseball, tennis and basketball. There was no reason to be bored.

A sudden summer storm never dampened our spirits. We’d wait under cover for those big drops of rain to stop and go right back to what we were doing. The smell after those welcomed showers lingered until the driving heat dried up the moisture on the ground as it evaporated back into the muggy air causing the humidity to wrap itself around us like a blanket. But, as kids, we didn’t care. When we got a full day of rain, we’d build models, organize a ping pong tournament at a friend’s who had a table set up in the basement or engage in a marathon of board and card games. Sometimes we’d head to the theater to catch the matinee show. There was always something to do.

We always had to be home for dinner, some called it supper, but then we were out until the street lights went on. Nightly, youngster chased lightning bugs and placed them in a jar with air holes in the cap and some grass in the bottom. We’d put them near the back door and see how many survived in the morning. How come none of them ever made it through the night? Would this kind of activity be considered politically incorrect today?

As we got older, more time was spent with friends in adjacent neighborhoods and our source of summer activities widened to include Police Athletic League (PAL) baseball, swimming at the local pools and creeks or the swim team at the YMCA. Some of us got to go to camp, visit a lake house or go to the Jersey Shore.

No matter what we did, summer was a time of leisure and good, clean fun until the time came to get a summer job. But that wasn’t so bad either, because it gave us some spending cash. Those were great times. And telling our grandchildren about those times shows them what it used to be like and reminds us that times have changed. Come to think of it, the biggest change may be that today’s neighborhoods aren’t as tight-knit and there are not as many kids to play with. That sure reduces the options for having fun.

Don Potter: Editor-in-Chief

Don Potter, a veteran of the ad agency business, is a Philadelphia native currently living in Los Angeles. He is the author of an acclaimed marketing book, The 50+ Boomer: Your Key to 76 Million Consumers. In retirement, Potter has written two novels, hundreds of articles and is a frequent lecturer. A leading advocate for those 65+, he is a founder of NewSeniors.com.

You must be logged in to post a comment.