Seriously, what gives? I remember having all kinds of cool things as a youngster. Toy guns, action figures, and what not. Where did all the toy guns go? I looked around Toys R Us with my son the other day, and all we could find were "space weapons" and laser blasters. I mean seriously. I had toy UZIs, 1911's, Tec 9's, rifles, sub machine guns, assault rifles, etc. Apparently kids are not supposed to play army anymore? I don't get it. Even the squirt guns have gone "spacey". Are kids so lazy that they have to have battery powered water guns now? Granted the detachable water magazines are cool looking. Still though what's wrong with the old Super Soaker 50s? Pump it up and go to town. I don't need a squirt gun with a pressure limiter built into by way of a battery. What happens if it falls in the creek? I'm out 30 bucks and my son is out a water gun.
Ill go even more old school with it. We used to have rock battles and tree nut battles. Nothing gives the effect of combat better then having projectiles to fling. We would hike up into the woods or down along the neighborhood creeks for miles playing army with rock weapons. It was a blast! I still have scars from my days as a soldier in the Confederate Rock Army, Boulder Battalion. I would rather my son throw rocks with his friends then play video games where heads explode and gray matter flies everywhere. Politically Correct I disagree! Can't throw rocks and nuts, but dismembering video game characters is acceptable.
I swear they are trying to take all the fun out of being a child. We used to have the most massive and amazing forts in the woods behind my parents house. We would travel back there with bow saws, machetes, hatchets, nails, hammers, what ever we could get our hands on. I got an 8inch scar on my thigh from where i cut it on a bow saw. Cut down trees and vines to use as structural members and ropes. Pilfer the neighbor hood trash piles for lumber, metal fence post, and other cool stuff and go to town. Our huge Kudzu base was awesome. we would use the fence post as turrets. All these were camoflaged with vines and leaves. Threw some vines through the trees and wrap them on the post. Then we could change the trajectory of our shots. Load a moon traveler into said pipe and let it rip. We bombed every house in range. I swear the home owners just played along with us. They may chase us through the woods, but they never called our parents on us. They were even friendly to us when we were heading home after a hard days build and blast. I think the cops would probably be called if that was done now. People just need to lighten up. I don't think I've seen a single child riding a bike while towing a wagon of prime fort material since I was that age 20 some odd years ago. I really do feel for our children.
So my question is this. How many of y'all remember the old days? Who all was a master fort builder back in the day? Who played soldier with rocks, pine cones, and acorns? Who remembers exploring the creeks and woods as a child and thinking, Wow I just found the coolest place to play?
