Society and culture has changed in the past fifty years as it has grown into a nanny nation. As I’ve previously wrote, my grandad who lived in Queens, New York, would take the subway to Manhattan. He was nine at the time and not a worry. Today kids can’t even go down the block to a local park without the parents being charged with neglect. Kids have to organized by adults to play games; the kids aren’t even able to play and get together on their own without having an adult to supervise.
NYC, late 70’s, while walking down Madison Ave, in the mid sixties, I spotted two well groomed little lads about ten years of age exiting the bus. Both wearing private school blazers, gray trousers laden with huge backpacks. Both had their deluxe day planners out, puzzling out their schedules for a free day to get together. Just so damned sad to watch.
I walked about a mile to school starting in first grade,and no one thought my mother was a criminal. I see mothers walking nine year olds to the bus stop.