More Works in Progress: Kids

No. It is not snowing in Mississippi on December 29, 2011. This is a photo from February 10, 2011, when we had a BIG snow, by Mississippi standards.

These are two Mississippi kids, looking for adventure getting their daily exercise. They asked if they could sled down our "hill" and of course we granted permission. But even though the "hill" was covered with a couple of inches of snow, the underlying ground wasn't exactly frozen enough to create an ideal sledding environment, such as one might find in the "hills" surrounding Pittsburgh, Penna. 

And so, they put on their helmets thinking caps and and had some fun sliding down the... what would you say? 30 degree slope?... of their shed roof, on their butts. Make no mistake, they were having as much fun as they used to have in the summer climbing on top of their portable b-ball hoop and springing onto their trampoline with the water sprinkler going full tilt making the hoop and the trampoline very very dangerous fun. 

 I was reminded of this photo because Drudge linked to a non-story coming out of a suburb of the former great city of Pittsburgh. (I have no love for Pittsburgh, per se. But it was once a city with some chutzpah.) Bottom line: on the advise of the 'burb's insurance agents, the 'burb  now 1) prohibits sledding by non-'burb kids in a 'burb park and 2) requires 'burb kids to wear helmets while sledding. Not thinking caps. Helmets.

I file this under "BIG LIFE." It was a BIG snow. 

I don't suppose these two Mississippi kids know how big their lives are, yet. I don't know these kids well. I have no idea how smart they are, although I note that they do not ride a short bus to school. In 30 or 40 years, will they be reminiscing, to their rickety* grandchildren, about being able to slide down their snow covered shed roof without a helmet?

RICKETS: a disease of childhood, characterized by softening of the bones as a result of inadequate intake of vitamin D and insufficient exposure to sunlight, also associated with impaired calcium and phosphorus metabolism. [my emphasis]

 Time will tell.