Summer Time
When i was a kid, growing up in Cortland Ohio. I used to lay in my bed, during the early hours & listen to the clutter and noise from outside. I'd stare up at my ceiling and walls that had been stenciled with flowers by my mother, and i'd sit and listen to the neighbors kids running around. I'd hear the grass being cut two houses down, and the sounds of laughter from kids racing bikes, as their parents stood in circles discussing and comparing the latest "terror" story their kids have produced. In the very early morning i could hear the crickets and birds, and sometimes the occasional yelps of the frogs from the pond across the street. I'd sit in bed and wait. Wait until my mom would come to wake me up, hassle me out of bed to take my Flintstones vitamin & eat breakfast. Wait for my little brother to come and leap on the bed and poke me uncontrollably until i screamed for my father to make him stop. I'd sit and wait until someone would come get me & start my day for me. Those summer days consisted of riding bikes up and down the street. Us girls getting chased by the boys. Making lemonade stands or pretend restraunts outside to make extra "cash." As if we had anything we really needed, or could for that matter, buy at the time. We were young and free. I didnt have a care in the world. I got up when my mom said to, played outside all day. Most of the time had lunch at a friends house, or if it was my turn everyone ate at my house. I'd play outside until it got "dark" which at the time was 7pm. I'd come in, and by my mom's command.. the same way she woke me up and started each day..she would read to us and send us back to sleep to start the whole process over again...
Im twenty years old now. I dont live in ohio anymore, and i couldnt even tell you half my neighbors names if you asked me. When i wake up in the morning i hear the radio left on from last night. I hear the unnesessarily loud fan from my laptop blowing on the bed beside me. I dont wake up and hear people cutting their grass. And on a rare occasion can i make out kids running around outside over the radio in my room. My mom doesnt wake me up anymore..Unless its 3pm and i still havent woken up from the night before which ended at around 6am..This happens often for me. However she doesnt run in and start my day the way she used to. Im twenty years old..she shouldnt have to. My little brother never comes in and pokes me. Half the time he's out being a rockstar before im even awake. He has his own life, almost seperate from mine completely & our mornings start at two different times. I dont wake up in the comfy pj's mom picked out for me the night before. Half the time my makeup is still stuck to my face & im wearing the shirt i had on the night before. My new summer days consist of waking up in a rush to hop in the shower and head off to work. Work. Something i never had to even think about when i woke up as a kid. There is no playing outside or lemonade stands. No racing bikes up and down the hill. Theres work. And unfortunately for most of us there is nothing i can do but go. On the days i dont work there still isnt any playing outside with my friends. It now consists of checking online for messages & looking at my cell phone to call these friends. Moms at work by the time i wake up, Dads almost always at work & if they're not..They're more than likely out busy with other things. I normally wake up alone.
I miss being a kid. I miss waking up and knowing the whole day was going to consist of "playing" with friends.Thats not all i miss about being a kid, Obviously life was much easier back then. Back when i didnt have to wear makeup to feel ok about myself. I didnt have to cry about boys or even worry about them because..lets face it..They had cooties. I never dissapointed my parents with grades, or ran from cops at parties with friends. Life was much easier back when my biggest worry was a skinned knee from falling off my bike. I'd take a skinned knee to a broken heart anyday... I took advantage of it though, just live every other kid does. I never thought about the day i'd wake up hours later and rush to work. I surely never imagined the day i'd check my cell phone before even saying hello to my own parents. Times have changed, yet there is nothing i can really do about it. I guess when you get older your "summer" gradually goes from mornings to nights. Beleive me, when i was ten years old i NEVER thought i'd spend my summer with a ton of friends drinking that gross stuff from a can my father used to drink when i was little. Funny how times change. I enjoy my summer nights...but i sure do miss those summer days as a kid growing up in ohio.
Im twenty years old now. I dont live in ohio anymore, and i couldnt even tell you half my neighbors names if you asked me. When i wake up in the morning i hear the radio left on from last night. I hear the unnesessarily loud fan from my laptop blowing on the bed beside me. I dont wake up and hear people cutting their grass. And on a rare occasion can i make out kids running around outside over the radio in my room. My mom doesnt wake me up anymore..Unless its 3pm and i still havent woken up from the night before which ended at around 6am..This happens often for me. However she doesnt run in and start my day the way she used to. Im twenty years old..she shouldnt have to. My little brother never comes in and pokes me. Half the time he's out being a rockstar before im even awake. He has his own life, almost seperate from mine completely & our mornings start at two different times. I dont wake up in the comfy pj's mom picked out for me the night before. Half the time my makeup is still stuck to my face & im wearing the shirt i had on the night before. My new summer days consist of waking up in a rush to hop in the shower and head off to work. Work. Something i never had to even think about when i woke up as a kid. There is no playing outside or lemonade stands. No racing bikes up and down the hill. Theres work. And unfortunately for most of us there is nothing i can do but go. On the days i dont work there still isnt any playing outside with my friends. It now consists of checking online for messages & looking at my cell phone to call these friends. Moms at work by the time i wake up, Dads almost always at work & if they're not..They're more than likely out busy with other things. I normally wake up alone.
I miss being a kid. I miss waking up and knowing the whole day was going to consist of "playing" with friends.Thats not all i miss about being a kid, Obviously life was much easier back then. Back when i didnt have to wear makeup to feel ok about myself. I didnt have to cry about boys or even worry about them because..lets face it..They had cooties. I never dissapointed my parents with grades, or ran from cops at parties with friends. Life was much easier back when my biggest worry was a skinned knee from falling off my bike. I'd take a skinned knee to a broken heart anyday... I took advantage of it though, just live every other kid does. I never thought about the day i'd wake up hours later and rush to work. I surely never imagined the day i'd check my cell phone before even saying hello to my own parents. Times have changed, yet there is nothing i can really do about it. I guess when you get older your "summer" gradually goes from mornings to nights. Beleive me, when i was ten years old i NEVER thought i'd spend my summer with a ton of friends drinking that gross stuff from a can my father used to drink when i was little. Funny how times change. I enjoy my summer nights...but i sure do miss those summer days as a kid growing up in ohio.