Memory Monday turned sad rant

I remember growing up in Rupert, Idaho.
I remember a LOT of freedom and running around outside and walking with brothers and friends to the Wilson Theatre for a matinee in "downtown" Rupert. The suckers at the Theatre had a chance of having a star inside... and if you got the star you got another sucker for FREE!
I remember knowing most of the people who lived on my street.
During the summer we would stay up until it was dark and then run around in the dark playing our child games like Murder in the DARK! until mom yelled for us to come in.
We could ride our bikes all the way across town to go to the City Pool, or ride our bikes miles the other way to Cemetery Hill with a hot dog in a baggie for our meal when we got there.
I remember walking to Elementary school and watching a dead cat decompose day by day.
I walked to Jr. High (Jr. High is a horror story for another time). High School was too far to walk, so I rode the bus or drove after I got my license. I don't remember gangs existing.
I really remember bullies and mean boys and barely existing and frustrating things happening.
I remember hearing where kids hung out to drink in my Junior year of high school. The reality of life hit me in my Senior year when my friend became pregnant and my family and I moved to another town in the middle of my senior year of high school.

People who grew up here in Salt Lake in the 50s - 70s remember riding their bikes all across Salt Lake City. They remember being safe and walking and riding their bikes everywhere.

What happened? Something changed during the 80s I think.
Suddenly people were fearful. Suddenly the world wasn't a safe place.
I really wonder what happened.
My husband suggests that in the 80s the news started using fear to get people to watch their news channel. Maybe we all found out about all the bad things and abuse came out of the closet, so to speak. Maybe being more aware of the evil made us fearful and we taught our kids to be fearful and kept them closer to us and to home.

When my brother (who is 10 years younger than me) went to Elementary school (the new one right around the corner from our house) he couldn't wear a Raider's t-shirt for fear of getting beat up by "gang kids". A girl in his class stole alcohol from her father's cabinet and hid it in her desk at school. A man threatened someone with a knife in the apartments my grandma lived in just down the street from my parents house.
Things seemed worse. I bet my brother didn't get to just run around and go to town by himself and ride his bike everywhere.... I'll have to ask.
Maybe it will add a piece to the puzzle of :
What happened between when I was a kid and our kids today?

Fear mongering news making outside seem very unsafe?
Computers and games and T.V. inside?
The heightened awareness of abuse and kidnapping?
I mean, there are 120 registered sex offenders living in my immediate area....
talk about heightened awareness of bad things!

Ross and I both grew up in very small towns (his was smaller than mine!) and we both had free and fun and running around town kind of childhoods. We are sad that it's not safe enough to allow our kids to run around and explore their world. In fact, parents who let their kids run amuck (aka. go to the park by themselves) are looked down upon!

Anyway, we try our best to make sure our kids go out (Buddy System!) and play. We make sure our kids know to get away from adults that are TOO friendly or ask them for help (a normal adult wouldn't ask a kid they don't know for help finding their dog, etc.) .
We tell them all the time that we trust them so much, it's the people we don't know that we don't trust.
So much they need to know to be safe these days.

Miscellaneous Memory Monday

As the oldest child of four, (I have 3 younger brothers) I often remember being the first to do something. Except blowing bubbles in gum and whistling, I had to work hard on those to catch up to my brothers.
From my perspective today I've thought of something interesting:

I was the first to take piano lessons and play clarinet and be in band at school. It was "my thing". I played clarinet from Jr. High through college until my carpal tunnel got bad.
I can still plunk out a tune on the piano... but, man! I'm rusty!
Plus, I spent hours and hours forcing my brothers to "play school" during the summer and I was their teacher!
And now my youngest brother is a Band Teacher in a High School in Idaho.

I ALWAYS got A's in Psychology. I've always loved studying how the mind works, personality tests, etc. Even talking with my brother on the phone about what I should study in school (someday!) he reminded me that I always loved Psychology!
What is this brother doing? He's going to school to be a Psychologist/Therapist.

I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS loved reading books. I remember searching for books on Eygpt in 4th grade. I remember wearing my dad's army jacket in Jr. High and getting teased about being "Hot Lips" Hoolihan. Why did I wear that jacket? Because it could hold two paperback books at the same time. From Jr. High through High School I always was reading two books at the same time. I remember being proud that I read at a college level all through High School.
Even on the night before my wedding I went to a used book store with my mother-in-law and husband to be.
What does my middle brother do? He SO out-reads me and not with just any books... he reads the classics! He is SO SMART. My husband and I really enjoy talking with him.
He's read all the classic books that I've always wanted to read but, this sci-fi/fantasy book over here looks like more fun...! :)

I'm not really jealous... the more I've thought about it, the more I would like to think that perhaps I helped my brothers? Maybe I started doing or liking something that helped them get toward where they've ended up? Could it be that I was any sort of good example for them?No matter what, I'm happy for them.
Growing up, I was like a little mother to my brothers. I wish we could be better friends now.
And I can see that we each DO have something in common.

Memory Monday

I want to write a memory every Monday. I re-experience Memories all the time in my head and perhaps it would be beneficial to keeping the memory and developing my writing skills to write them here. Welcome to Memory Monday!

I remember my wedding day back in May of 1994.
I remember that the night before our wedding there was a terrible storm! We barely got back from a used book store before it started. At 5am on our wedding day (obviously I didn't sleep well, I was too happy and excited!), I looked out the window of my motel room and couldn't see across the parking lot the FOG was so bad!
By the time we were ready to get going to the temple the weather had cleared and it ended up being a really beautiful day! The sky was a perfect blue! The sun was out and it was warm. We got some nice pictures that I can't post because we got married BEFORE digital cameras and e-mail. ONE TREE ripped out of the ground on the temple grounds was the only evidence that the storm had happened.
I felt very happy and lucky to have such a great weather story from my wedding day.

My FAVORITE memory is of what song Ross and I couldn't stop singing all day long!
This song will forever remind me of my temple wedding.

"What do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor?
Ear-li in the morning?
Put him in the long boat till he's sober,
Put him in the long boat till he's sober,
Put him in the long boat till he's sober,
Ear-li in the morning!"
and on and on...

I remember us walking happily up to the temple singing this sea chanty together,
I remember us walking happily away from the temple (Yay! married!) singing this sea chanty together, I remember singing this sea chanty at odd times during that whole day.
It's weird and it's interesting and it's just us, I guess. :)

The only thing I really remember from actually getting married is that the guy who married us advised us to "Always have a love story in the home." Isn't that sweet. I think we do.