The first two stories highlight specific childhood memories. Do these instances call to mind memories from your pre-teen years?

The first two stories highlight specific childhood memories. Do these instances call to mind memories from your pre-teen years?

the first story reminded me of the freedom of my small town childhood, running with a pack of other kids, going from house to house all day in the summer. Of course, we never went across the border to Mexico to stay until midnight and go home in a taxi.

I too recall running free throughout the summer with the neighborhood kids from after breakfast until lunchtime when we checked in, until the dads came home and dinner was served, and back out again until the street lights came on. Then it was a bath, and a story (not a song).

The clarity of the first two stories rings so true. I can remember events from my childhood decades ago with sights and smells much more clearly than events in the recent past.

Yes, childhood recollections always ring true and bright. Now, watching grandchildren being raised, I lament the freedom and space we had as children to tackle the world around us that they will never experience.

Loved the freedom I was afforded when I was growing up. My friends and I felt safe in our area and relished our parents' trust in us to follow rules and embrace the elements of caution. Sad to say that times have changed so much that less freedom is bestowed on children for their own safety. Memories are so important to have and to share with those with whom those memories were made.

Yes, as many others have said, my childhood was long enough ago that we were allowed to run free until the street lights came on. All the moms watched out for all the kids. It seems to have been a safer time, and I'm sorry my grandnieces and grandnephews won't get that same experience.

Yes, they did. Listening to the old radio programs, lying in the grass, playing jacks and hopscotch, childhood friendships - the second story prodded some memories of my own childhood.

I agree with some of the others who have said our children today don't have the freedom to roam the neighborhoods that we did and end up spending too much time doing non-physical activities and learning to get along with others in day-to-day life.

I lived in a rural area and my two neighbor girls and I were free to roam and play. We had to be home at a certain time, but our parents didn't know where we were every minute of the day. I don't think there was the fear (or reality) of frequent abductions, etc. We were naive of those. We trusted our neighbors and they watched out for us. We were fortunate to have trustworthy neighbors!

The first two stories remind me of the summer days of freedom to roam the neighborhood, to roll down grassy hills, to play in the woods and to share stories with friends. We went from house to house, riding bikes and looking for snacks and cool drinks. The evenings were reserved for playing “kick the can” in the street and chasing fireflies.