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In Stones
From the River, by Ursula Hegi, five-year-old Trudi, the
heroine, and her first friend spend long summer afternoons down
by the river, exploring, playing with stones and leaves, letting
their imaginations roam.
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Dudi Starck
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Thinking back to my own childhood, which
was not that long ago but definitely before computers, my summer
memories center around:
Lying in the tall grass with my friend
Naomi, arms and legs akimbo; then getting up and admiring the
outlines of our six-year-old bodies.
Lying on the soccer field with Dan, Jerry
and Gill, staring at the stars, talking about God and communism,
our adolescent minds full of new questions.
Sweating at the summit of the mountain
in L.A.'s Griffith Park that my family and I climbed every Sunday
to reach the observatory.
Itching all over from rolling down the
grassy hills in the neighborhood park.
The half-scared, half-excited thrill as
I wondered whether to dive under or jump over the next big breaker
the Pacific was offering up to me.
Roller-skating around the block with Claudia,
the girl next door, hoping that cute boy from around the corner
would come out and join us.
Playing handball against the garage door
with a foursquare ball with the kids on the block.
Climbing the trees at La Cienega Park,
hands stained red from the berries I had just picked.
Creating a decorated folder of favorite
poems, copied by me, illustrated by Claudia.
Filling a cigar box with paper dolls and
a full hand-made wardrobe for each one.
Do Computer Games Nourish the Soul?
During summers past, the left-brain took
a much-needed break from school and body and soul reigned. I didn't
know it at the time, but the activities we kids pursued in these
summers before computers nourished the body, the soul, the heart
and the imagination. The only thing we knew about computers came
from science fiction books -- and TV was not allowed during the
day. We had no choice but to find our own fun, to rely on our
own resources.
I can't help but ache for what my kids
and their friends are missing. It's hard for us and for other
parents I know to limit TV and computer time, especially when
mom and dad are both working. But with the attraction of The Age
of Empires and Pinball on a nearby desk, and the tube and videos
to entertain without effort, more kids are staying indoors than
ever before.
We're beginning to see the alarming results:
Children are fatter and less fit than ever. They are more prone
to all kinds of ailments including diabetes and heart disease.
I have no doubt that other harmful effects will appear as soon
as the studies are done: hand, wrist and shoulder problems from
too many clicks of the mouse; back and neck problems from sitting
for long periods of time. To prevent these, see Keeping
Computer Kids Fit.
But I worry even more about the problems
that we can't yet predict: What happens to the developing brain
when it is fed a large diet of computerized images? What happens
to the developing soul when it is starved for the majesty and
wonder of nature? What happens to our sense of empathy and ethics,
when with a press of a finger we can wipe out monsters, space
ships, planes and yes, people hundreds of times a day? Will imagination
and creativity -- those two profound gifts of childhood -- wither
with too much electronic input?
There are no easy solutions to these problems.
But it's important that we discuss the effects these cultural
changes are having and will have on our kids.
To take part in this WholeFamily discussion,
please fill out our poll and survey.
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