There was a time...

There was a time, when I was much younger, that I could leave the house, with my mother's blessing, and, travel throughout the city.
I was prob'ly 11, may be 12, when the wanderlust struck me.
 But, my friends and I would walk, or ride bikes, all over the Reno area, without fear of capture, or molestation. We would stand on the corner of 1st and Virginia and just... watch the people.
I believe it's when I first started to understand facial expressions. I slowly began to see things like happiness, despair, and, even the odd expression of wonder.

We would range as far as Idlewild park (which is quite a ways from where we lived), over to Virginia lake (even farther), even as far as the North valleys.
Not once, did it enter our young minds that there was any reason to be affraid.
My point? Well, I'm writing this, and you're reading it. I'm still here, and, still fearless. Well, may be not fearless.

We couldn't wait to get out of the house. Weekends, summers, school holidays, it didn't matter. The days were always an adventure in the wings. From tubing down the ore ditch, to building a rickety ramp for our bikes. Catching pigeons under the Virginia street bridge, or, catching crawdads by Wingfield park. There was always something to do... OUTSIDE. Camping (even if only the backyard), finding a way to talk the parents into going to the lake (Pyramid), anything just to be outside.

As the high school years came along, I became friends with new people. People I'm still friends with today (you know who you are). Outings became a bit more (if very little) adult. We would trek out to the desert for bon-fire parties, beer, and, girls (Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill helped alot, in that department). Drive-in movies, and *parent chaperoned* BBQs. Please note the *'s, yeah, parents were never there.

All of us met the girls we thought we'd marry, we went steady with them, and, for all kinds of reasons , and, excuses, went separate ways. Some of us heart broken, some... not so much.

Life, as we knew it, continued to flow around us, and, us through it. We've all grown, well most of us grew, Jeff stayed the same hieght (you know I'm just joking). Career paths, and, families have taken the place of the adventures of youth. Yet, aren't we still on the adventure?

I'm still bobbin' an' weevin'... I ain't knocked out, yet. I believe I'll go fishin'.