I was raised during a age where there few mandated limitations on childhood. There have been Facebook  posts detailing the delights of that era. Drinking from a hose, riding in the back seat of a car unfettered by seat belts, chasing fireflies with a glass jar in our backyard, Walking to  and from school during the city years, bluebird meetings and campfire girl camps with no air conditioning were part of the joys. Going to visit relatives in the East on the Denver Zephyr, wandering in the woods on Grandma's farm with no adult, hunting books to read in dusty dark libraries, movies with serials as part of the show on Saturday afternoon with Dad. My crib probably had rails I could have put my head through as well as lead based paint, and my Mom pushed me in a small enclosed crate with wheels that I could and did climb out of at any time. The only restraint I recall was being strapped into a halter and hooked to the clothesline so Mom  could work in the yard. That lasted only until I learned to unbuckle the straps.

  Oh there were rules. Dresses were the only attire allowed in schools if you were female , and they were changed once you got home so they could be worn another day. Bedtime was no later than eight even in the summer. Meals were served  to everyone in the house at the same hour. What was on the menu was what you ate or you went hungry. Interrupting an adult was not done, Home work was done at  a regular time. My Mom let me play for an hour or so after classes but it was to be done before she  called supper. When television became part of our family life, it was on after supper  for the few child centered shows( most shows then would not have been the least risqué anyway) before bed and on Saturday morning for cartoon shows.(Daffy Duck, Tom and Jerry etc.). The rules were few as you can see, but they were followed.

 One distinct memory was that there were no participation ribbons. The effort made was what determined the award at school, Sunday School and in organizations such as 4H, Campfire girls etc.
One 4h project  a simple apron which was a seamed square of flour sack material( Bought material was not used to learn on.) drove me batty. That tunnel made by folding and then seaming it came out so often it was a wonder the material did not get holes.The blue ribbon was worth it and so were the gold stars for knowing Bible verses on Sundays. Reading groups were decided by  a student's ease with reading at school--Bluebirds, Redbirds etc. Yes, we knew what the groups were and probably some feelings were hurt when the division was made. Still the grouping was fluid and moving up or down was based effort and improvement. At times I earned the award ,and at other times I did not do so well. My parents like most of that era  did not intervene on my behalf. Trouble at school meant trouble at home. The lesson  learned form these experiences was a simple one-- the choices I made had consequences and that the choices were mine. A principle that has proven useful  my entire adult life so far.

 I consider myself lucky for my parents' attitudes toward life. They saw people as people not as races. My Dad did have prejudices as I found out later in life, but they were not really racial in nature. He was the one that had a pal who was a pathologist for the police show  and tell me that once the skin is gone race is not possible to discern with accuracy.(that might be truer today with the mixed marriages.).If a person was honest with my parents, they had my parents' respect.  So I as a teen knew Mexicans, Greeks, Asians , and some Italians whom were close to the Local Don and his capos. Religion was another no conflict area. Mom was a lapsed Catholic, Dad was raised Lutheran, and they were married by a Baptist minister. I was sent to Catholic School( including the religion class which is a story in itself) and on Saturdays  the Lutheran catechism was the morning class. Family friends included the local Greek orthodox priest and his family as well as the local Rabbi. It was a varied and culturally rich upbringing. Today I credit my parents with gifting me with an open mind and the ability to judge people by their actions alone.

 This is getting long and some of these statements need more depth thought. So reader I will return to the topic soon.