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Taking the fun out of fun......

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by JR, Jun 3, 2007.

  1. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03wwln-lede-t.html?ref=magazine

    Who knew at the time (not we children, certainly, growing up more than 30 years ago in small-town Minnesota) that playing and getting hurt would come to be regarded later on as exotic, threatened activities sorely in need of a cultural revival led by concerned adults? But that is just what’s happening, judging by the popularity of the recently published “Dangerous Book for Boys,” a runaway best seller that seeks to reintroduce young males to lost pastimes like making paper airplanes, hunting rabbits and skipping stones.

    ....

    Sure, the wife was probably right to enroll little Tim in yoga class as an early stress-reduction measure, and yes, it’s a fact of hectic modern life that play dates need to be scheduled eight days in advance, but what good will any of this do if the lad’s budding masculine soul is starved of the key emotional nutrients that only chaotic goofing off supplies?

    Maybe we could start a "Goofing Off League" for kids aged 8-16.

    And let the parents run it.
     
  2. crusoes

    crusoes Active Member

    And call the papers, demanding coverage.
     
  3. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    My kids goof off just as hard as the other kids... why don't you put their pictures in the paper?
     
  4. jimmymcd

    jimmymcd Guest

    I have four Goofing Off all-America plaques on my wall.
    Kids today are wayyyyy overscheduled.
     
  5. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    I goofed off as a teenager all the time. Still do, matter of fact.

    Oh wait, you said "goof".
     
  6. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    And every kid, including the loser nerd, gets a "Goofing Off" participation medal.
     
  7. JBHawkEye

    JBHawkEye Well-Known Member

    Don't laugh _ newsroom got a call the other day from a mother wanting us to come out to take a photo of her son riding a bicycle his grandpa gave him.
     
  8. Smallpotatoes

    Smallpotatoes Well-Known Member

    I've long campaigned for a National Loitering Night, when kids would actually be encouraged to hang around stores and try to get adults to buy them alcohol and cigarettes.
     
  9. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    I spent a lot of after-school hours in the local billiard hall, aka "The Hall of Balls". Run by a guy who would have been the scariest fucking dude on The Sopranos.

    I'm still pissed my parents didn't show up to watch me beat Jonesy (not the SportsJournalists.com one), TK, Dave the Barber and Mike "Funeral Boy" Smith. in my run to the Burlington high school snooker championship.

    Prize? Two beers in the parking lost.

    Oh, and this was snooker, not idiotic 8- ball.
     
  10. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    You ran it on the front, right?
     
  11. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    You'll need the personal goofing off trainers and coaches.
     
  12. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I've got two boys, 5 (soon to be 6) and 8, and sadly they are one somewhat schedules, well much stricter than I ever was. The upside is they get to do so many more things than I ever did, carpentry class, baseball, soccer, lego class. Even with this much scheduling, they do get a few days off during the week for just screw around time at home and homework.

    The downside is there's not much sponteneity. However, I can only look back and realize that somehow when they got old enough to play, there was this accepted SOP that everything was scheduled. I blame the ones who came before me. What happened to just walking to the local school and seeing your buddies? Abduction fear.
     
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