Dear Betsy:

Wanted to share a few paragraphs I cut out of a recent story I wrote for my writing group which I believe follow your views shared in article “Umstructured summer is one of no discontent.”

I enjoy your articles and relate to your way of thinking as shared in your writing.

It didn’t always feel that way. As a youngster I remember times when life was just what the day offered. In the spring that meant activity in the woods behind our house that involved make believe stick guns, fort building out of whatever scraps of wood we could find or jumping rocks in the brook. And as soon as the crab apple tree blossomed we grabbed our buckets to begin our annual apple fight. The fight itself involved more name calling (like my best friend and sometimes worst enemy, Michael Debler, who was regularly taunted with “Mike Debby Debler”) than action. The actual apple throwing lasted about ten minutes before one of us ran into our house looking for first aid while the rest scattered as far away as possible.

Once the warm weather arrived we headed straight to Father Mac’s field to play baseball (or some derivative thereof) for hours on end topped off by a swim in the often crowded pool. Despite being filled with unsanitary rumors we didn’t care. After all it was nothing a little more chlorine wouldn’t cure. Then no matter how exhausted we were from the day’s activities we threw our pajama’s on and excitedly waited on our front steps for the Frosty dairy cream truck while dad spun “Peanut Butter and Jelly” adventure tales.

Gradually the summer heat cooled to the color filled fall where we waited for high piles of raked leaves to take shape only to jump ourselves silly. But even better was the night time bonfire fueled by all those leaves right on our sidewalk curb.

Sadly for the adults the fall lapsed into winter. So while they grumbled about the oncoming winter cold, we turned our visions to days off from school making snow forts, having snow ball fights or sledding down our favorite hill.

Back when it didn’t matter if you had only one friend or a dozen as you always figured out some cool thing to do. “Do you want to go to the frog pond and catch some tadpoles?” “Nah, my mom is still mad at me from the last time cause of all the mud I walked into house with.” “How about get our bikes and go ride to the cemetery?” “Sure, just have to be back by dinner.” Back when it seemed that was the only rule we had to live by.

Unfortunately adulthood has a lot more rules which some people are paid to take very seriously.