Growing up,  I lived in a very small town (pop. 3,000) in SW Ontario.  In the early 70's life was freer.  I am sure there were crazy people back then but you just didn't hear about it like you do now.  Due to that,  I was allowed to go anywhere and everywhere in town.  I explored all four corners of my small town  and I loved it.   Everyday during the summer,  I was gone on my bike traveling somewhere.  That is one of the fun things I remember about my childhood:  discovering my town on my bike.

     If I still lived in that town,  there is no way that I would let my children have that same kind of freedom.  LIfe is different now than it was in the 70's,  whatever the reasons may be.   I don't even know if I would let my kids go around the block with their bikes on their own.  I think their world would be their front and back yards and that would be the extent of it. 

     This is one of the reasons why I live living here on the Prairie.  I can give my children that same kind of freedom that I had when I was young.   They can go far and still be on our land.  They can go on their bikes and explore many places.  They can do things here in the country that they cannot do in the city,  like go outside and play in their pyjamas,   go across the road to the garage on an adventure (this adventure is half a mile one way) and never meet a single person.  They can go down to the creek to play damsels in distress and brave knights in and among the hills while keeping on the lookout for snakes and frogs.    There are alot of adventures that my children are exposed to  that they would not necessarily have in the city.  MInd you, there are still dangers lurking around everywhere here on the prairie, but they are different dangers.     So my kids still need to think things through before they make decisions.  Instead of calling it street smart,  I have coined the phrase,  "country smart."   You have to be alert for porcupines, snakes and gopher holes.   For some reason, though,  (call me naive)  these dangers don't have me tied up in a knot.  Maybe because they are a way of life for us now.

     When we have friends visiting from town,  I marvel at the mom's  trepidation of having her kids playing in the hay bales.  It is no big deal for us.  My kids have fallen off those bales many times but they get back up and start climbing.  My kids can climb trees with the best of them.  Especially Missy.  She is our resident monkey.  It doesn't bother me to see her up way so high.  Again, it is no big deal.   I guess it just depends on where you live and what you are used to.  Maybe if we always lived in town,  I would be more relaxed to let them bike around the block.   I'm not sure.

     All I know is that I am very thankful that we live where we do.  It makes my heart sing to see them climbing on the bales,  playing in amongst the trees,  bounding down the road on their bikes to the garage, complete with back packs and enough snacks to last them for 3 or 4 more adventures.  I am thankful that my chidlren are able to experience some form of freedom. like the kind that I had when I was a kid.

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