At about age 5, my mother signed me up for swimming lessons at the YMCA. I was very excited to be a minnow, but at the first class, the instructor insisted that I open my eyes under the water. I went to use the restroom and never went back. After the class, I went upstairs, met my mother and went home. Every subsequent class I spent entirely in the locker room, taking a shower to get my hair wet. At the last class, parents were allowed onto the balcony to watch their darlings. I was scared but unable to think of any plan except to go hang out in the locker room. In short order a delegation arrived looking for me and we marched straight upstairs to the front desk where I was immediately enrolled for another session. No punishment. No discussion. Just go do what you’re supposed to do.
One day my mother sent me to the YMCA by myself. It was only a couple of blocks away, but the YMCA sat on a busy corner with a stop sign. I got myself all the way to that corner, but just couldn’t find my opening or my courage to cross the street. So I went back home and found my mother doing translations up in the attic. I told her I couldn’t cross that street. “Of course you can,” she said. “I’ll call Mrs. ______ at the front desk and tell her to watch for you.” I tried explaining the impossibility, but nothing doing. Off I had to go. My mother didn’t even come downstairs to see me off. At the corner I again waited a long time but finally took a deep breath and stepped out into the street for an anticlimactic crossing. It turned out that Mrs. ______ was busy at her switchboard (yes, an actual switchboard with all the plugs) and hadn’t been watching for me after all.
I can’t imagine sending a 5 year old out by herself onto city streets, even for just two blocks. It’s possible that the world was different then. It’s possible that my mother had come from another time and place or that she was just strangely oblivious. It’s certain that my upbringing left me with a sense that I could go anywhere and somehow figure it out. Once I took the greyhound from Chicago to Wilmington (DE) and arrived without the phone number (unlisted) or address of the friend I had last visited many years before. I studied maps in the public library, guessed where it might be from the shape of the road, caught the last city bus going out there, guessed where to get off and went into a local veterinarian’s office to see if they knew my dog-owning friend. They did know and I had only about a mile left to walk to their house.
The two YMCA stories are emblems for me of the way my mother sent her children out into the world early knowing that we would manage perfectly well. As she told me when once I wanted a ride for some purpose, “you have two legs that can carry you.”
Beautiful capture! Fabulous story! We were definitely raised differently. I stayed at home along from a fairly young age. Can't do that any more. I'm not sure if the world has changed, or if we just hear about all the evil thanks to news on demand!
Wonderful story and image to match - I think the world has changed but like @homeschoolmom Lisa said we are probably also hearing more because of the access to news - children are molly coddled nowadays though I think but there is no way today you would be left missing in the locker room people are too afraid of being sued
A very interesting story, similar to my youth. I was out and about at the age of 5 going to and from school on the bus - all on my own! I don't remember feeling scared, I guess it was just normal then. Mum used to wait outside the house for the bus to pull up, knowing (and I guess hoping) that I would be on the bus.......and she would make me a sandwich when I ran outside! I love those memories :)
A lovely image and fascinating story. I was brought up in a similar fashion and I believe I'm a more self-sufficient and resilient person for it.
I am your Get Pushed partner this week - I can see that you have a real connection with and interest in nature, so I'd like you to find and photograph an abstract pattern in nature. I hope this theme is OK :)
I am your Get Pushed partner this week - I can see that you have a real connection with and interest in nature, so I'd like you to find and photograph an abstract pattern in nature. I hope this theme is OK :)