Free Range Kids

                                  Street Kids a.k.a. Free Range Kids

These are notes I made on my i-pad during my hours at the hosptital Tuesday.

 My sister was having leg surgery. My sister Frances and I were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital talking about this and that. Frances said the other day on GOOD MORNING AMERICA they were talking about free range children, which is a new concept in day childcare. The idea is to put a big group of children in a huge outside area and let romp and play unsupervised. Let them make their own rules. They feel this cconcept will strenghten the individual character.

I think it will teach them young in life that the strongest bully rules.

Frances remembered that "Free Range Children" were exactly what we were. Or more appropriately, "Street Kids". Our Free Range was all of the Clay Homes and all of downtown Marietta. We didn't check in with our parents unless we got hurt or were hungry. Once a dog chased me and I was afraid to confront it to get home, so I went to my grandparents' home in south Marietta a mile away. I was 4 or 5 then. Another time when I was about 3 my mother was ironing and listening to WFOM Radio. The radio was airing live of children in Santa Clause's lap telling what they wanted for Christmas. The mobile was set up at Sears on Atlanta Street and she recognized my squeaky voice.

Our neighbors' kids are Free Range; too Free Range. 911 has been caled on them several times. In fact, Family Services has threatened to take their children.

More notes about being at the hospital: The nurse wheeling our younger sister Bonnie back to us (Frances & I) said, " I'm carrying you back to your parents." During our four to five hour wait in the waiting room a lady pushed a full size harp into the room and strummed enchanged harp music. Nobody seemed to noticed her. I thought it might be out of place to applaud her or give her a tip and there was no hat throw money in.

Frances and I checked out the new restaurant Bistro at the hospital. It has the cool tile & rock decor of a upper scale restaurant. We both had Georgia trout with stone grounded grits. It was good and very reasonable. I charged mine with my credit card. Guess what? The ticket I signed there was no blank to leave a tip. At the bottom it said, "Gradtuities will not be accepted.". That is almost good as coupons!