photo #1503126

My brother and I were elected as the cops, and had to wait five minutes before we were allowed to chase the robbers. We didn't have watches, so we started counting to 300, though we didn't say "Mississippi" in between. Then we took off in hot pursuit. An "arrest" was made by tagging a robber, usually at high speed and carefully. To this day, I can't tell you how many miles of trails we had to play in, but there were quite a few. Usually starting out as rabbit trails, over the years we'd worn them down a bit deeper and wider. There were five robbers today, and we could hear them laughing and hollering. We decided to split up, and catch 'em in the area where they usually turned back towards home. I got a brilliant idea, and stopped about 1/2 the way and hid my bike under some bushes and waited. The way my heart was pumping, I figured I'd alert them ! I could hear my brother hollering like a siren, and knew it was "at hand", so I crouched into position and readied myself. The lead robber, Jeff, was leading the pack and he was flying. I hoped I'd have the timing right or this wasn't going to be my day. It'd happened before to Bruce, and it took weeks for him to heal. At the perfect time, I jumped out and started screaming like a siren. Jeff saw me, and locked up his brakes to keep from hitting me. I jumped back, and Jeff's bike turned sideways and down he went. Two more were dead on his tail, and unceremoniously flew right into the melee. I jumped back out, and "arrested" all three. Of the other two bringing up the rear, one of them managed to evade the pile and flew into the bushes, tumbling over his handlebars. My brother had caught up and "arrested" the last one. After checking everybody out, we all started howling like hyenas, nobody was hurt, but it was exhilarating and too funny not to. Then, one at a time, we started readjusting handlebars and fenders and straightening out everybody's wheels. Jeff had two broken spokes, but that wasn't so bad considering. Then, we all headed for Bruce's house for lemonade. His mother Claire always had plenty, and usually some cookies, too. Once again, we weren't disappointed, and we laughed and talked while we ate and drank. We'd survived once again, and it sure wouldn't be the last time. Great times, great memories of a simpler time. Thinking back, I couldn't help but compare to what's happening today. Kids are playing video games now instead of the real games. Most don't have bikes, or skateboards. Most haven't learned the exquisite pain one can get with a good dose of roadrash, or a "wonderful" crash. If they DID play cops and robbers on bikes, it'd be without their parent's permission, and helmeted, padded, and wrapped in bubblewrap ! Society does the exact same thing as that day, though. They blindly follow their "leader" in a pack, which always ends up the same way. Just like back then, if they'd follow their own intuition and initiative, they'd scatter and be really hard to find. If they'd have gone in five different directions, it would've taken a lot longer. Today, instead of trusting themselves and relying on their own self esteem, they prefer to run in a pack behind somebody who really doesn't have their best interest at heart, only their own. It seems that anybody who won't follow must be ostracized or cancelled. Personal initiative, the foundational requirement in today's society is being eliminated. SOMEBODY needs to teach them that if two things are identical, one of them's not required. Not to mention if EVERYBODY'S the same.