OP, a lot of people won't get it. Back then, we felt safe. I could walk anywhere in my town and need never worry, even the poorest African-American section of town at 6 years old, and not be hassled. I used to walk to the grocery store to get bread and milk and not once did anyone bother me. In fact people waved and were kind to me.

Contrast that with now. I'd never let a child walk through there. They'd see all kinds of crime even in my small town: prostitution, drugs, thugs, wannabee gansters. It's pathetic.

Were there problems? No doubt, but children still had their innocence. No porn available 24/7 on a computer. Only on rare occasions would we laugh by looking through the lingerie section of the Sears catalogue! That was our innocent fun.

We rode our bikes all over town. Many of us had paper routes and made enough money to buy our ice cream, comic books, some clothes, our bikes, go see a movie once a week at the matinee, sometimes staying through to watch at least two for the same price. We paid for the presents we gave to our family, and felt a sense of pride at earning money to benefit others. We saved our money each day during Lent and gave money to missions to help the poor.

I can remember a kid fell on the sidewalk. He lived many blocks away. My mom cleaned his wounds, bandaged him up in our home. Fed him lunch, and sent him on his way. There's no way a parent would risk doing all that now. They'd simply call his parents and have them pick him up.

We hiked in the woods and built dams in the streams. Fashioned boats out wood and home sails. We didn't have that many toys, mostly made due with homemade bow and arrows and bola and pretended to be Native American warriors.

We played tetherball, volleyball, kickball, basketball. We ran everywhere and we were lean and tan and wiry and healthy. Maybe one child was a little overweight but we didn't tease him, and likely he'd work off most of the weight during the summer.

No one took vitamins because we ate better even though poor. Almost every meal was homemade save an occasional lunch of Campbell's soup. Mom's were embarrassed if they made a "box cake", and the other mom's would tease them. Almost every meal did my family sit together at once and eat and talk and share stories.

We never missed church. We were there every Wednesday and Sunday, and always went to youth group because we wanted to.

Seldom were any kids overscheduled. We had plenty of time for school and homework, and maybe took one activity like playing the piano or one sport.

I know this seems silly to some young people, but I feel sad for them. They were and are in such a rush to grow up. We were different back then. Holding hands was a BIG DEAL. The first kisses were special and innocent and there was so much importance about who you shared that with. Few couples risked making love and going all the way, and seldom were there teen moms and always they got married, and there was little judgement because "they were in love so it was natural...".

We were kinder to each other. We worked hard to elimate people using the N word. We considered anyone who said it "low class fools". Years later when folks started calling themselves that, I was shocked.

I can remember what a big deal it was when a person of another race came over. How shy each of us was in each other's homes and so respectful for the opportunity to share a meal and learn and be more understanding. Now we thump our chests and are all puffed up. It's stupid. Back then, I actually thought that racism would die in my generation. How foolishly naive I was. People love it too much.

I remember the first Jewish boy I met at age nine. I learned the Shema from him. His parents were good hard working people. They weren't any different than my parents, both sets working to make their children's lives better and easier.

Even when someone was realy different, we were excited by it, and wanted to learn why they were. We might have become good friends and teased them, but didn't despise them for living a different way.

Some old guys lived together, we called them "confirmed bachelors", but everyone knew they were "funny" but most didn't tease them or hate them for it. We just shrugged our shoulders and didn't make a big deal. I think I was 17 before I heard the term f...t, and I was shocked people would say that word. It meant something burning. My friends never said. My parents never did.Not once did anyone in church condemn it, we talked about redemption and Jesus and didn't espouse hate there.

There weren't any homeless, save an occasional drunk, that always found some money tucked into his pocket by a mom or dad, or made him a meal or even invited him to the supper table.

Our dads all served as soldiers, and even when they came home, and we saw that far off sad look, we respected them for their service, and wished them success and happiness. They were heroes to a boy, no matter how they served in whatever capacity.

We adored our moms. They were gentle and yet tough. We seldom raised our voices in the house, and never yelled at them. It was just unheard of to talk back. We always told them they looked beautiful, especially on Sunday because they wore their best and looked radiant. We wanted to meet girls like them. They never ever did anything lewd or used a curse word save if they dropped a casserole on the kitchen floor, and then it was likely, "Shoot!".