Dear Children,
I was thinking about what kind of games or toys I played with when I was young. Let me take you through some of my cherished memories. My older brother Ken, who’s no longer with us, used to make wooden barns, just like the ones we grew up around on the farm. He made one for Gary and me. Gary, as you know, always had a special connection with farming; he loved it and was great with animals. We played ‘Farm’ a lot when we were little, even visiting other farms to play. It’s funny, considering we were actually living on a farm, but we still loved to pretend-play farming.
Gary and I played a lot of games together. We enjoyed sports as we got a bit older. One year, we got football uniforms – just simple helmets, jerseys, and some padded gear. We made up elaborate games, playing football in the front yard of our farmhouse, both of us switching between offense and defense. It was so much fun, and we spent hours doing it.
Baseball was another big one. We used the chicken coop on our farm as a backdrop. Home plate was right in front of it, and we had a spot marked as the pitcher’s mound. We’d pitch fastballs to each other – I remember us always throwing hard. We had a whole system of singles, doubles, and so on, based on where the ball landed. And yes, getting hit by pitches was quite common for us!
During the Blizzard of ’78, when I was about 15, we were pretty much stuck indoors. We spent hours playing card games like Tripoli. I also remember playing outdoor games like Kick the Can and Ghost in the Graveyard with Urban and Erma’s children, or the neighbors. We even had a game where we threw a ball over the roof of a small garage and chased each other around – I can’t remember what we called it.
Looking back, I realize we never really played games alone. It was always about interaction, being together. It’s a beautiful thing, and I can see now how different our childhood was. While it’s easy to say that life was simpler and better back then, I won’t claim that’s universally true. However, the opportunity to spend hours playing with others, not just with a machine, was something special about our times.
It makes me reflect on the importance of human connection and shared experiences. In a world where solitary activities are becoming the norm, I treasure those memories of playing and interacting with others. It’s a reminder of the value of companionship and being physically present with those we care about.
Love,
Dad