HERE'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE FRIENDS IN MY DAY, BUT WHAT DO KIDS SUBSTITUTE FOR FRIENDS TODAY?

ME AND MY CHUMS JUST PLAY'N HAVIN' FUN

I often wonder what kids do for friends these days. I hear my granddaughter talking about "hanging out" but I don't know what that means.

I just don't see kids playing together that much any more. Making their own fun and being creative doing it!

When I was "a kid" we played "ball" and didn't have to go to a sports field to do it. Anywhere would do and with any old bat and ball we could find. And we played cowboys and Indians and hide-and-go-seek. During WW2 we even played "war". Come to think of it, I was also known to play "house" with girls in my neighborhood. We played marbles and hop scotch and I tried my hand at skipping. We went fishing together, swam in the local watering hole, skated on the ice in winter and hung out on the street corner at night talking foolishness.

As we grew older we went to movies together and congregated at the local soda bar. It was all about having fun together -- and laughing a lot.

We just naturally learned social skills through the fun things we did together. We learned to settle differences with our peers though youthful engagement.

As I say, I don't see any of that happening today. Consider also that young people do not go to church and Sunday School these days and youth organizations like Boy Scouts and Girl Guides are virtual things of the past.

What I do see are solitary kids with cell phones glued to their ears or pre-fixed with heads down concentrating on hand-held electronic devices, fingers clicking madly, faces expressionless. I look into post-puberty eyes and come away uncomfortable with what I see.

I can't help but notice kids hustling home from school and disappearing into their houses, rarely emerging until next morning when on their way to school again. Mind you, it might be different where I live. I don't know!

I see beautiful youthful bodies that so often are handicapped by affluence. They are caught in an increasingly complex world, more often than not burdened by unrealistic expectations, lacking in toughness and resilience. It makes my heart hurt for them. They are protected to the point where I fear they will not develop situational awareness.

I struggle too with the prospect that my great grandchild will live to experience the chaos the world will be in by the end of this century, due to global warming, polar ice cap melting and sea rise - coastal flooding and loss of ocean ports which will bring mass starvation and migrations affecting everyone no matter where they live. I see festering political unrest and man's inhumanity to man that does not auger well for the future.

Sorry young fellow and girl. I can't do much for you now. I am at a loss...You are on your own and I wish I could leave you in a better world. I just had no idea...

I wish that you could have experienced playing ball, hide-and-seek, going fishing, going to the local soda fountain and hanging out under a street light with friends. Simple as they were, those were the innocent fun things that prepared me for the rest of my life. You deserve as much.

Would that I could imagine the same for you!

As I say, I have no idea. It is all beyond me!

Maybe in having so much fun, my generation has let yours down in some way(s). But that's another story.