After writing my last post and reading some of the replies, I started thinking of how much things have changed over the years. We touched upon rocks under swings, cuts/scrapes/bruises/stitches are a badge of courage, and the Big Wheel in all its glory leaving road rash for years. Let’s not forget the classics: climbing trees where chunks of wood are too big to be called slivers never mind losing footing and falling 6-8 feet to the ground knocking the wind out of you, or the timeless game of Red Rover calling your arch enemy of the playground to come over whilst taking a ‘clothesline’ to the breadbasket or if you were lucky enough with the timing actually get the kid across the throat to see both feet catch air… ah yes, good times.

Today however, I saw the ‘singing frog’ from Bugs Bunny (got a little peeved) and realized how much we really have dumb things down, wrapped the children in so many layers of bubble wrap and blankets, and handed out one too many ‘everyone is a winner’ trophies for t-ball resulting in the idea of being just a little daring, a moment of ‘what if I…’ is completely out of the question or at least very rare.

Bugs Bunny was, and will always be, an icon to me and many other children that grew up in that era. He was quick with his snarky remarks for any and all occasions, taught us about classical music, opera and ballet (whether you knew it or not), and made sure we laughed the cereal milk straight out of our nose, all while dodging anvils falling from the sky, a crazy hunter with a speech impediment, and a duck more daffy that your Aunt Ida.

As children, we ‘got it’. We knew that anvils would not fall from the sky. That if an airplane lost its engine airbrakes would not stop it from crashing into the ground. We knew stepping on a steel rake would indeed hit us in the head causing little birdies to fly circles around or worse a broken nose. And most importantly, he taught us how laughter can bring us to a happier place no matter how grim it may look.

After all, who isn’t just one wrong turn in Albuquerque away from trying to get to Pismo Beach?