When you remember the summers of your childhood or early teens, were you bored or did you have a great time?

We were kicked out of the house when my mom left for work, rain or shine. If we stayed in, we did chores. My mom was a SAHM my early childhood, and when she worked, the household was kept to the same standards. I had all sorts of daily chores that needed to be completed, or else. I generally elected to leave the house. The bookmobile came once a week to the strip mall near our house, and I would bike up and bring back a load of books. We also had friend’s mothers who were home, and taught us to cook. We belonged to a swim club that was about 6 miles away, and we’d bike there. Once I was 13, I had a regular babysitting job during the summer—20 hours a week, 50 cents an hour, three kids, one in diapers. I had to bring my own lunch and snacks. I also had 5 -6 lawn cutting jobs that paid $2 – $5 each. If my mother was home, and I wanted to read, I would have to take the book and climb a tree, where she couldn’t get me.

My mom and her boyfriend often took me camping when I was little. I never got along with my mom, but she seemed to be so much different (mostly) when we went camping, like she was more in her element. We got along then. it was really the only times we bonded.
I had loads of fun. Catching bugs all day long, playing in the lake, exploring the woods, getting yelled at for climbing in a displayed Viking longboat, staying up late and roasting smokeys over a fire, or walking around at night checking out campers adorned with those funny camping lights all over the place. It was like being in China. At night. But with a buncha lumberjacks.

My dad also took me camping in my early teens, where I spent my days playing old ass arcade games in the little entertainment thing, reading in the woods and hiding from my dad as I was smoking the cigarettes I stole from him lol. There was also the most epic graveyard ever there, with old ass tombstones, and I went there at night hunting for ’‘corpse lights’’. Never found any, alas.

If I wasn’t roller skating, riding my bike or swimming, I was watching tv. Every child has moments of boredom though. I spent a lot of time outside.

I had a great time.There was always something to do.

I wanted to be a bass player at the age of 12. For some unknown reason, I picked up a pair of drum sticks and realized that I should be a drummer, instead. And, it has proven true all of my life. My first set of drums were bought for me at the age of 13. I formed my first rock and roll back at the age of 14 and the rest is history. I had one of the best teenage years a person could have. I was the youngest musician in my band, so the other guys had to watch out for me. Being a tall person did not hinder my ability to play in night clubs. I was never asked for my identification.

I have backed many famous recording artists. Living in Nashville was a plus for me, since music is the basics for my city.

I just wish I could do it all over again.

Summer camp was great. My summer job was never boring because I was a pretty big fuckup. Like the time I set a fire that burned up 40 acres of hay in about ten minutes. Firemen came and just watched in amazement, jaws dropped. They didn’t even bother to get out a hose. Nothing they could do. What kills me is that I never got fired. Haha.

As a pre teen I had a great time. We played outside from morning until dinner and then again until dark. We lived in a neighborhood full of kids and we were either at the city pool, riding bikes, playing ball, or some other street game. We didn’t watch much TV as there were only 3 channels back then and not much on. If we were in the house, we listened to music a lot. Life was good then.

At times we were bored, but filled it with games..Name that tune, lots of free form sports, and chasing the thought we might actually date that babe we had a crush on..no internet, no parents on our backs, no organized anything. Just your head and what the day might bring. It was magical, and it is missing today.

@wundayatta Lol nice. Ya dang firebug. A friend and I used to set garbage bins on fire during Winter lol.

I went to Summer camp once. I fucking hated it. ALL day you’re with people, and counselors telling you what to do constantly. I don’t like being told how to have fun, and I enjoy my solitude, even as a kid. And what’s with this waking up at six every morning and doing warm ups outside. MAN!!
The next year, my dad wanted to send me to a Summer camp again, and I begged and pleaded to PLEASE not send me.
He was like, oh yes you’re going, don’t even argue, I need a vacation too!

…but he never did send me ever again. :)

I loved summer. We had one summer where we never missed an episode of some dumb soap, mockery, mockery. And I’ve never been bored if there was a book around.

I had great summers. Mine were away from home, out of state to live with grandparents who were always busy doing things and teaching me things. I absolutely loved it. In those days there were no computers for kids, no video games, no being hustled off to arcades. I climbed trees, swam in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams. I fished and shot guns, dug great holes in the ground to make “caves”, hammered scraps into tree forts, layed out on blankets on rooftops and watched the clouds or stars, played records on a record player, dressed up and danced. I molded clay, mud, dough and sand. There were adventures to pick wild foods and lesson in cooking, cleaning, grooming, pet raising, table manners, conversation, etc. I don’t remember ever being bored.

Oh we had great times, swimming all day at the public pool which was a 10 minute walk through the neighborhood to the park and pool. Gorgeous park, green grass, beauitful trees, a creek with ‘secret’ hideouts along it;s banks that made you feel like you were in a tropical country, all overgrown with bamboos and various bushy bushes. The pool opened at 1p.m. and closed at 8:15 pm. We kids would swim from 1 til about 5ish, rush home, wolf down some dinner and go back and swim til dusk. Then we would loiter in the park and wander home. It was a very safe neighborhood and it was the 60’s, parents cut us loose and sometimes didn’t see us all day, no worries. :-)

As a teen we all migrated to the local river for swimming and rafting and the bike trail which ran for miles and miles. We would swim and raft all day, go home, change and go out and party til all hours of the night, usually at friends whose folks were on vacation. This was now the 70’s. haha I grew up in a fairly affluent country club suburb and it was not uncommon for us older teens to have the house to ourselves, mommy and daddys credit cards, and we threw a lot of kegger parties, amongst other debauchery. ;-)

One friends folks were both archeology professors at the state U, their house was amazing, full of artifacts and they collected cultural masks. It was our favorite house to drop acid or eat Peyote and play with the Zulu masks. His dad had a huge greenhouse full of tropical Orchids too, it was a great party house! hahaha

I had great times. TV barely existed. Electronic games were unheard of. I rode my bicycle anywhere I wanted to go. Stayed away from home all day if I wanted to. Played and played and played. Lots of imagination required and used. Played outdoors, played cards, watched the next door neighbor mom sunning in her two-piece. Glorious days. Set myself on fire once.

When I was away from the house I had a great time. I had summer school. There was day camp. I loved my local library. I wasn’t allowed to go to friends’ homes or anything like that, but even when I was stuck in the house, the imagination I have ensured I’d create a good time for myself as long as certain people weren’t there.

I can’t really remember what I did during my childhood and early teens in the summertime specifically…. I must’ve done something though, since I don’t recall being bored. I think since it was elementary school, everyone lived close to each other anyways, so we’d bike around, or walk around, and knock on other elementary school friend’s house doors and ask them to come out to play. We’d just walk the streets, go to the park, or go to the neighborhood convenience store to buy a slurpee, slush puppies and candies. :P

Otherwise I’d just be at home. Summer time was when the family went out on trips though! That was really exciting, and one of my favorite times of the year. I love family trips.

I had a blast…..& we’re not talking about “taliban youth” here.

[mod says] This is our Question of the Day!