Coprolite Newsletter, October 2005

I think I was born into one of the last unorganized generations.

I don't mean DISorganized -- although anyone looking at my office would know that I'm a master of total disorganization. I'm talking about UNorganized. My friends and I grew up without the benefit of having our lives scheduled for us. We had no Little League sports teams, I wasn't in Scouts, and kids in my neighborhood had never heard of summer camp.

During the school year, we had to rely on ourselves to find something to do after we got home in the afternoon. And from June until September, we were responsible for the whole day.

This wasn't always easy. Countless times I would whine to my mother: "What's there to DOOOOO?" She would offer some suggestions, which I would generally turn down, and then she'd give up and tell me to use my imagination.

My friends and I did have some advantages in those days that kids don't have now. The streets weren't yet blacktopped, so every year we could watch the big yellow road graders when they came through the neighborhood to dig up and smooth off the roadways and then top them with a fresh coat of oil.

Before everyone had refrigerators, we followed the man who delivered ice to people's houses. He would give us slivers of cool refreshment on hot summer days. We plucked flowers and fed them to the horse that still pulled the bakery-delivery wagon.

Not everything we did was that antiquated. We explored the neighborhood on bikes much as kids do today. We ran around staging mock battles and ambushes, although we used cap guns instead of laser pistols or whatever is in fashion now. We discovered crayfish and exotic bugs along the creek in a park a mile or so away.

The biggest difference between us and the kids of today is that nowadays they never have to ask "What's there to DOOOO?" In fact, their little day planners are completely filled with organized activities. Overfilled, I would say.

Our grandson who lives in Boise was going to visit us this summer, but couldn't find enough vacant time in his booked-up schedule. We have a middle-school grandson and granddaughter who live near us. They play so many sporting events that we can't possibly get to them all. Baseball, soccer, football, swimming, basketball – the seasons overlap. Besides that, her games often happen at the same time as his. The contests seem very major-league. Not only are they played with spiffy uniforms and padding, but are watched over by an amazing number of coaches, referees, and parents.

Now, I guess it's nice for kids to have coaches to help them learn to play the game more skillfully. And referees keep everything going according to the rules. And parents lend support and pride.

However, too many times I've seen it turn out badly. At our grandson's most recent football game, the opposing team's grownup followers were so nasty and vociferous that the referee had to warn their head coach that his team would be penalized if he didn't get the adults to behave in a more sportsmanlike way. This is nuts.

Maybe I saw this problem coming way back when I was a kid. At any rate, I avoided taking part in any sports event ruled over by grownups.

Well, it did happen once. That was enough. When I was in junior high, a bunch of us were enjoying a pickup baseball game at a local park. One of the kids came up, all wide-eyed and enthusiastic, and said "My dad is an umpire, and we could get him to call our game for us!" I thought this was the worst idea ever, but apparently some of the kids were in favor. Besides, the man was already walking down the alley toward us, dressed up in his black costume. It's no coincidence that years later, Darth Vader dressed the same way.

All of a sudden we had this guy calling balls and strikes. Previously, we just swung at any pitches we liked. The other ones didn't count. His presence put a lot more pressure on what had been a fun game.

The clincher came after I managed to hit a single. I was standing there, a foot or so off of first base like always, when Lord Vader pointed at me and shouted "Yer out!" It seems he had a rule that prohibited leading off. That was the first I'd ever heard of such a thing.

After that experience, I avoided as much as possible any activity that involved letting someone bigger than me tell me exactly what I was supposed to do. That sort of thing always stood for drudgery, not fun. In fact, it's probably why I retired early from corporate life and started my own little business.

I can't help but wonder how today's kids will be affected by the super-organized, carefully coached and supervised games they play. Will they grow up to be more motivated to learn their skills, follow directions, and pursue their goals? Or will they end up like the parents and coaches at their games, going totally bonkers when things don't fall their way?

Will kids who are used to managing such incredibly full schedules turn into adults who are organized, disciplined, and better able to handle stress? Or will all those years of unrelenting pressure turn them into trembling zombies by the time they grow up?

Should I keep encouraging my grandchildren to enjoy all the sports and clubs and educational activities they're signed up for, or should I step forward and tell them about the glorious freedom that comes from spending afternoons and vacations with a minimum of adult interference?

What's a grandpa to DOOOOO?

––Wayne Adams
wayne@coprolites.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To read other Coprolite Columns, return to Newsletter Archives.

You are welcome to forward this newsletter to anyone, as long as you send it in its entirety. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://three.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coprolitenews.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Who are the Coprolites—a tribe, a secret society, a religious order? If you ’re unfamiliar with this proud but little-understood group, visit http://www.coprolites.org for more information. Find out how you—or that friend of yours who has a birthday coming up—can benefit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For professionally written and edited newsletters, brochures, speeches, scripts, or web copy, get in touch with WordMagic Communications. We have lots of powerful words in stock, with fresh supplies arriving daily.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Need a speaker for your workshop, seminar, or meeting? Check out The Expert Speakers Group. .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -