Playtime On the Farm

Mercy! How playtime has evolved since I was a Hoosier lad! In the olden days you made-do with what little you had. Our cell phone was a string stretched 'twixt two old soup cans. That way we avoided strict federal communications bans! Our swing was an old tire with a rope tied around a limb. That, and a plank across a barrel for a seesaw was our gym! My fishing rig was a safety pin hook with a willow twig for a pole, Wherewith I spent languid summer days at my favorite fishing hole! Many cold and snowy days were spent bundled in winter attire, Racing down the steepest hills on my sleek Flexible Flyer! Rainy days were spent huddled reading in a secluded nook, Or crafting model airplanes that I happily undertook! Though I savored a rowdy game of marbles, I was never very deft. That saucy neighbor girl always beat us guys leaving us bereft! In the pasture we made a diamond for our raucous games of ball, Taking care, of course, to avoid bovine deposits, that above all! On many a mellow, moonlit Hoosier summer's night, We'd capture fireflies in mason jars on their wing'ed flight. How did we manage sans all the gizmos kids now have at hand? I suspect my grandkids would find my playtimes rather bland! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired © All Rights Reserved