Surfergeeks

I know some of you do. I haven’t had a lot to say lately….Well…No, that’s not entirely true. I *ALWAYS* have a lot to say but for some reason I never think to fire up the admin panel and write a post. Today I read an article over at Digg that has prompted me to write.

First, go read the article. Then come back and we’ll discuss.

Done? Good. Okay, what are your thoughts? I know that I’m older than most of the people that read this blog but what was your childhood like? Were you given the freedom to roam and explore or did your parents have you on lockdown tighter than Fort Knox? I know that I had the freedom to explore. Naturally, Mom taught me to be careful out there on the streets and nothing bad ever happened to me (or any of my friends for that matter). Maybe it was cuz I was ugly and no kidnapper would want any of me? Who knows, but I remember spending many a weekend afternoon exploring the forests by I grew up. Then there was the summers. Long Point was MINE. There probably wasn’t much more than a square foot or two of that place that we didn’t explore. Many days I’d be gone just after breakfast not to return until supper time – occasionally after. No one worried. That’s how we rolled back then.

And what about now? Has anything changed? Will I let Alex enjoy the freedoms I enjoyed? Damn skippy! Some of you are probably shriveling up in your chair and cursing me. “How dare he?!?! Does he not love his son?!!? He’s asking for trouble!!!” For those of you thinking/shouting that right now, I simply say “Bullshit.” Nothing’s changed. Society hasn’t changed. Proportionately speaking I’m sure that the number of rapists and pedophiles are the same as they were when I was a kid or when my Mom was a kid. The ONLY difference (and I defy anyone to prove different) between then and now is the media. They’re all sensationalist whores. All they care about is writing about shit that creates fearmongering. The other difference is the global reach of today’s media. Back when we were kids there was no 24-hour news cycle. No CNN. No internet. I’m sure kids all over the world got abducted, we just didn’t hear about it ad nauseum. And really, call me cold and heartless, but do I really care about some snot-nosed kid down in Arkansas or Alabama that may or may not have been abducted by his or her father/mother/father-uncle/sister-mom. No. No I do not. Why is this news? And, if it is indeed news anywhere OTHER than the community of mobile homes that the child was removed from then obviously kidnapping is not such a huge crime that I need to get my boxers in a bunch worrying about it. Fuck. That.

No, Alex is going to enjoy the outdoors. Sometimes I’ll enjoy the outdoors with him, sometimes it will be with his friends (hopefully their parents won’t be all paranoid), sometimes it’ll be on his own. I look forward to the stuff he brings home. I can’t wait for him to bring home his first snake he caught and show it to Grandma or Mommy. The only thing that will make his experience better than mine is that there’s a good possibility there will be some form of digital media there to capture the event.

Alex was busy playing outside today, so I’m updating the website for him.

By the end of this month, Alex SHOULD be able to:

*build a tower of 2 cubes – yup.
*point to 1 body part when asked – yup.

…will PROBABLY be able to:

*kick a ball forward - he doesn’t kick yet, he seems to like throwing better.
*identify 2 pictures by pointing - yup.
*remove an article of clothing - he’s been doing this for what a month, two months?

…may POSSIBLY be able to:

*brush teeth, with help – yup.

…may even be able to:

*put on an article of clothing – not yet, but I think he kinda knows how, he just needs the co-oridination.