~#19 Tidbit The Duck

Hello Everyone:

I remember many years ago, a youth charged with the brutal slaying of a duck in our city. His defense: There's nothing to do in the summer.

What was even sadder was our 20 year old employee defending him in front of our customers. Not good for business and not good for the standards of our youth.

I often wonder what happened to that misguided soul, now in his mid-thirties. Does he have children? And if so, how has he brought them up? Does he suffer remorse or does he have the attitude of it being 'not a big deal- it was only a duck.'

With movie theaters, recreational centers and even skate board ramps built around our city—all within walking, biking or bus distance, I wondered what Dora and the children of her time did for recreation. I wondered, is it a sign of the times, our advancements in technology, our two career parents.

So I did a little digging. And this is what I came up with.

In a letter Dora wrote to a great niece, she said "we had no organized sport, no TV, no movies, no telephone etc..." So what then did they do?

"After chores were done (cutting kindling, cleaning lamps, shinning shoes, feeding chickens and gathering eggs, fetching vegetables or fruit from the garden, filling wood boxes, cleaning windows, waxing floors-)," they "constructed rafts, continued building our seven story tree house, we had to go for at least an hours walk with the governess, rain or shine, we could read our books or play games, cards, checkers, dominoes, {We were} great on picnics {on} a fine day, {would} go for a trip around the island stopping to explore all the bays in case anything exciting had been washed up on the beach perhaps catching a few salmon on the way to be either bottled or smoked for the winter.

For a technological-free society, they certainly found plenty to do, without resorting to senseless cruelty.

It sure shames me into action now that we finally have some sunshine.

LisaBri