CREATIVITY IS THE REAL PLAYGROUND 11/17/08

Current days are filled with concerns, heartaches and joys! Sometimes it is good to just let the 'good ole days' run by us again and just remember when. That is what this week is all about!
CREATIVITY IS THE REAL PLAYGROUND
In the 40's and 50's there was no such thing as video games, Ipods or Friday night cruises. No Little Leagues, pop warner football or soccer. Where we lived there was a Civic Center that had a softball league which my brother Lynn played on. The center also had all kinds of activities for children of all ages. Competitive sports were not available until highschool and then there was GAA for girls. For the most part we created our own fun! We played games after dark like; Red Rover, Red Rover; Truth or Dare; King of the Mountain; Hide and Seek. During the day we would play Annie Over; Work Up; Three flies you’re up and if we had enough players, we have a real ball game. And then there was hopscotch and marbles! Kids were creative!
Someone had made a swing that was at least 4' off the ground. It had a long rope tied to a large branch of a Eucalyptus tree that was behind the chicken coop in our neighbor’s yard. At the bottom of the rope was a gunny sack filled with stuff that was large and strong enough for us to wrap our legs around and swing. To swing, we had to get on the roof of the chicken coop. Place the gunny sack between our legs and then go back as far as we could . Then we would lift our legs and let the power of gravity and the momentum following take us forward and right off the roof and out into the air. You could swing and swing! You had to perfect your swing so that you could stop yourself on the roof and not have to jump to the ground. Boy, that was fun! We always tried to have a swing under a tree for our kids and also our grand kids!
We had no television until the late 50's so physical activity was a part of every child’s life. We walked everywhere or rode a bicycle. During the warm weather we played ball in the vacant lot across the street. During the winter in Iowa there was snow. During the winter in California you only had to contend with rain but mostly there was the beach. Most kids ran around in shorts and no shoes, except for me I didn’t like going barefoot. There was so much to do and very little boredom going on. We slept good! Today the key phrase is; "I’m bored"!
Today many children are bored unless they are sitting with their eyes glued on a screen filled with indecencies or hand held, finger pushing computer games. Competitive sports are available through the schools but no longer do you see an empty corner lot filled with kids playing ball. The skating rinks are for hanging out, but with not much skating going on.
*In Bible times children kept pets and enjoyed a variety of games. They didn’t own many toys but had a few that were homemade. There were wooden pull toys with wheels. They made up games so they could play with balls. They played "let’s pretend". They had swings hanging from tree branches. Dolls were created of cloth or shaped from wood. Some dolls even had moveable arms attached from the inside by strings, while others had openings for inserting fingers in the back to control arms and legs. There was a game called Knucklebones which was similar to jacks. Some had clay marbles. They also had something similar to hopscotch. Some owned hoops, just like the Hula Hoop. Chess existed as well as dice games. Athletic events were available, especially archery and wrestling. Many were good with a sling. I would imagine Jesus participated in some of these activities and I bet He was good!
1 Corinthians 9:24 says that all runners compete but only one wins the prize. We are to run to win! All athletes exercise self-control, but only to win a prize that will decay but we as Christians run to win the prize that will endure for eternity. We are not to run to and fro or as one beating the air. We are to run with purpose! Ecclesiastes says that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. The game plan is to run with perseverance, with eyes on Jesus!.
By Jane Ann Crenshaw 2/3/08 *referenced ‘Today’s Handbook of Bible Times & Customs’