All the dogs are street smart. I guess the ones that didn't look both ways are not with us anymore.
It has been a long time since I have seen dogs running free. The USA clamped down on dogs a couple of decades ago. It was good. There are not many things as unnerving as running over an animal and the lease laws helped put a stop to that.
Here, dogs are rarely treated as a pet. Panamanians use them for security. And, they do a good job.
But not for pets.
When we first started to visit, strays were everywhere...mangy, starved, sickly. Not a pretty sight.
A spay and neutering clinic was started with remarkable results. Not many strays here anymore. They really cleaned the place up.
This is a piece of good work. Many volunteers help with the process. It is a well supported effort and it gets results.
Kids run free too.
I love this. It reminds me of my childhood when you walked to school, the swimming pool, the store and the movies. Free from worries about being hurt or kidnapped. Free to be a kid. Free most of all from that pesky adult supervision. Hard to be a kid with adults around.
Nothing better for a kid than freedom.
Now, children are sheltered and not allowed to run free. They have "play dates" for God's sake!.
What the hell has become of us that kids need "play dates." They will be born with Day Timers clutched in their little hands. Saying things like, "I will pencil you in for after school on Tuesday, but I may have a conflict." For crying out loud!
I am discussed by the USA in this respect.
Here, I see kids walking to school, to friends houses, to the park, to where ever.
I bumped into a gringo who has a 13 year old boy. He said on Saturday, he gives him $5 and the boy is off for the whole day, out exploring, playing, eating and involved in the freedom needed to develop as in individual.
I love it that kids run free. It is invigorating.
A little retro...but maybe that's really good.
3 comments:
This is a really great post Tom, I had to read it twice. Thanks for the insights on kids.
Thanks, Al
I let Julie run pretty much freely in our neighborhood. The interesting thing is how that freedom can be seen as intrusive or "uncontrolled" by some others. She often has a hard time finding someone to play with. Most of the kids here are tightly leashed and all - even ours - get scheduled since that's how activities are run today. I let Julie go and do what she wants as long as she keeps me informed. As far as I can tell, no other parents do that with their under-high school kids around here.
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