By Delores Wilson, August 22, 2019 — In the spring, summer, fall, or winter, we children would be outdoors playing all types of games that we made up ourselves. We girls played Double Dutch, jacks, and hand games. We all would make up the words in a beat that rhymed with the activity. We were encouraged to use our imagination. For instance, a popsicle stick would become whatever we wanted it to be. A wooden crate attached to a long plank of wood after adding roller skates to the bottom of the plank of wood became a form of transportation. Most of us had pets of some sort. We were encouraged to take care of others besides ourselves. Before we went out to play, we had chores to do. Girls helped around the house, and I learned the boys had chores to do as well. We were trained to be subject-oriented, [and to] not speak badly of no one even if it was true. We were no different than the children of today. The parents or whoever was in charge kept us children in our lane. Be a child.
