Childhood Before Time

       Micheal Jackson said it best, do you remember the time? It starts with being born into this small, innocent, somewhat foreign little creature, that no-one can keep their hands off of. Then somewhere between the ages thirteen and sixteen, it happens, we as children start yearning to become an adult. Why? For the ability to do what we want! Say what we want! Have what we want and for some...To be on our own! What's not explained, rather what goes unheard to those who really want this ability, is that becoming an adult is not without strings attached! You'll have to get a job - work for the right to do, say, have, and be on your own. Okay, I'll be the first to say it, that part is the strings, it's also the hard part and among other things it's the part that SUCKS because, after you get the job, which you'll have to bust your ass to get! You're tired  - to tired to do all that shit you wanted to do once you got to this stage in your life. If you add your own child or children into the equation, you'll be between the ages thirty-five and forty-five before you get a chance to really be an adult, with all the perks! Of course this part isn't intended for those of you without children! So lets, for a moment, go back - back to the days where you had nap time and the only job you had was those dumb ass chores, homework and to go outside to play. Everyone has heard their guardian, of some sort, say this, "Go outside and don;t come back until the street lights come on." On a school night, that was our time to catch up and recap the school day we had just endured with our friends over a game of curb ball, double dutch, tag/ hide and seek or hand games...Y'all remember this train goes, Miss Marry Mack, and shame shame shame! In the summer though, "don't come back til the street lights come on,"was code for...It's about to go down! We woke up at the butt crack, to get the day started. Broke out the bikes, the swim suits, water guns or balloons and you made sure you called all your friends to meet up with you at "the spot" (the play ground), only after asking somebody for some money to be able to attack the store or the ice cream truck when it jiggled down the block! The outside was our club/bar scene back then and even when those street lights cut on, as long as you were home on time, we had porch nights! listening to the radio, talking to your cousins, siblings or whoever was over your house. Riffin' on one another, trying to rap/sing and being just a little too loud, so you could let your mom, dad, whoever, know just how much fun you were having outside while trying to cuss on the low, over some, little kid - childish b.s hoping no one inside heard you and no one outside got mad enough to yell, "AWE!" triggering a reaction from the parents that would make everyone have to come in. Yeah summer was the time to let your hair down or put your weave in and take trips to...WYANDOTTELAKE! Y'all remember the wave pool and cunnoci creek! Getting pissed cause there were times you thought you were going, only to find out you'll have to wait til next year. Which brings me back to the now, when you've finally got what you want, your an adult but you pretty much have to schedule time to kick it with your friends and family. Looking at your kids enjoy their "street light" days and "porch night" nights, listening to them have conversations with their friends about being grown cause mom and dad is getting on their nerves, never letting them do things they want to do. Complaining about them having to clean their room, do homework and the entire time your watching them you're laughing on the inside, while thinking, "I remember that." Sitting them down trying to explain to them the joy of being a child, asking them to stay in a child's place, just as your -parents did to you and then you, for a split second stop and say to yourself, "where did the time go?" The truth is we rushed our time, longing for something that would happen eventually, hoping to get to the place your at right now and for what? Oh yeah I remember...That wonderful capability to do and say what you want while having your own without having to ask for any ones permission but your own and that makes being an adult worth it!