AmazonMidwife

Here's another fear-mongering item in the war on childhood I found in an AP article from the little weekly paper dropped on my doorstep: Beware: Snow and Germs Do Mix It says that snow, even the pristine stuff, contains the Pseudomonas syringae bacteria. It does go on to contradict the freak out implied in the title, saying that the bacteria is very common, that the acid in our digestive systems are a great defense and that those with cystic fibrosis or small formula-fed babies are truly at risk for infection.

But this sort of anal-retentive, there-is-no-permissable-risk-parenting irritates me more than PMS. And here's my conspiracy theory twist: it's part of the continuing plot by the Powers That Be to create a bunch of wage-slave non-thinking drudges to do their evil bidding. Stay with me people, and think. Compare our childhood with that of children of today. I, along with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood had free range over a three-block area as long as we were home by the time the streetlights came on. Our parents rarely got involved in our quarrels, much less arranging and transporting us to playdates, then sitting around chatting while 'supervising'. Our kids are growing up with being almost constantly monitored as their norm with parents initiating and tending their friendships. What kind of cake will result from that recipe?

And bike helmets, elbow and kneepads were for those crazy Frenchies and that Tour de France thingie as far as my parents were concerned. (I have to say that I think these particular safety features are worthwhile.) But I remember that my younger sister, who fractured her ankle in a growth spot 20 minutes after she received a skateboard, seems to have had no lasting ill-effects from her accident. (She was a brat before she broke her ankle.) However, I do think that there aren't many kids who need cell phones/pagers to be safe, at least not before they're driving, and then only stored in the back seat so they're not tempted to talk while driving. These and other supposed 'must-haves' for our kids just propel us (and by example, them) into wage slavery.

But reporting on bacteria in the snow? How does that fit in to the conspiracy? Well, that's just another indication that we can't trust the earth to provide for us; that store-bought is better than home-grown, and that kids should stay inside playing video/computer games that dull their minds, or with the plastic toys for which their parents have sold their souls.

I could go on, but none of this is new ground, and I am sure there are those who have written much more elegantly and/or succinctly about this issue. Yes, I can certainly count myself among the black pots when it comes to too much stuff, and I probably am preaching to the choir here. I am just ranting, because I can, and because I need something constructive to do so I can be patient while the Boy slowly whines his way through a creative writing assignment...

How can a kid who has so much creativity say that he can't think of anything to write about? And it's not like I'm assigning a 4 page theme here; he's supposed to practice writing webs/brainstorming for description about his bedroom. I'm only talking 4-5 sentences based on 10-12 words here. You'd think I was asking for War and Peace. Naw, it couldn't be that he has a little of his mother's perfection issues...