Since I retired, I have realized that I have very little interaction with children. It is summer vacation here in America. It was a surprise to realize children are all around me.

When the RV’s roll in for the evening, out jumps dad to level and hook up his rig. Mom is opening up the things she packed away a few hours ago. Two or more children roll out the door to explore the new place. It takes no time at all to find new friends of similar ages. Soon the bikes are lifted from the hooks on the back of the trailer and the children, all of them, are zooming around the park. Shouting and laughter are carried over the air to my ears. Dad lights up the barbeque and they set up the campsite. As the evening idles along you hear a parent holler to the children to come home, its dinnertime. Later another parent hollers to get home it’s getting dark. You can smell the burnt sugar of marshmallows being toasted for smores

I ventured out for an evening walk. The sidewalk by the office has a new set of chalk drawings on it. I admire one of Spiderman. Stan Lee would be proud of what a good rendition it is. Someone has left a pair of inline skates by the slide. A few rosy-cheeked children are scurrying home from the pool.

The birds settle for the night and I can hear the frogs and crickets start to serenade the children to sleep. I drift back to a time when my friends and I were young. We were so free and innocent. For a small moment in time these children have complete freedom. The parents are not worried. Everyone around us has an eye out and these children are blessed to be free.