Carnie's Comments

 

He said, "Can you imagine what would happen today?  The 9-1-1 line would be buzzing and the cops would be all over the kid!"

My friend was talking about kids with toy guns.  We grew up playing with them.  I had cap guns and air rifles and two six shooters with a holster.  I'd strap that baby on, put on my cowboy hat with the whistle attached, don the cowboy boots and ride my bike around the neighbourhood pretending to shoot everyone and everything.  Nobody batted an eye.  It was all in fun.

My how times have changed.

We used to play some violent games too.  Remember Red Rover and British Bulldog?  If you weren't and all revved up and bruised up, you weren't really playing.

I can also recall the dirt lump fights we used to have down at Spring Creek.  We called it "the coulee".  We'd split into teams of three or four and take different sides of the creek.  The goal was to invade the other side and the only weapon allowed was dirt lumps.  I don't think anyone suffered any serious injuries but there was blood, sweat and tears and you know what else?  Laughter.  There was a lot of laughter.

Nowadays if we see a kid with a toy gun we're alarmed.  It might be real!  If we see kids pelting each other with dirt lumps, we intervene.

I suppose times have changed for the better but...I'm glad I grew up when I did.