Boys and how they play

Dominion family has a great post about the "absence" of children in our culture. Makes me think of a funny but scary story a friend of mine tells about her son when they lived for a short time in the suburbs while they were building a house. I think he was about 10 years old, and he was playing in his backyard, dressed in his camo, with his black spray painted gun (horrors...he covered the orange tip!) My friend heard voices in her front yard and went to investigate. There were two policeman, laughing. They had come to investigate a neighbor's report of an armed man in the neighborhood. We still laugh, although it's sobering to think what might have happened.

I am so grateful to live in the country with a creek and lots of open space where my kids can play mostly unsupervised. Yes, it has snakes and ticks and stuff...I have learned not to worry too much, although you don't catch me out there very often! :) We have swords and guns and...gasp...rarely use bike helmets. We've had plenty of stitches, beestings, and even several bouts of Lyme disease, but I wouldn't trade the freedom our kids have to play and run for a "safer" environment.