Ok, I know that this summer has been a very hot and humid one.  For those of us fortunate enough to have air conditioning, we can survive this sticky weather!  

I remember my youth and when school was out for the summer, so was I along with all of my friends! From morning till well after the dinner hour, we were out and about.  Riding bikes, playing games, building forts, playing school (what was that all about?) and finding creative ways to just be kids.  Anyone else have those great childhood memories?

I now live in a very nice neighborhood where there is only one way in and out of our plan.  Sidewalks throughout, great woods behind many of our homes, flat streets and LOTS of children!  But something I noticed: no kids to be found ANYWHERE so WHERE ARE THEY? OK, again I state that it's very hot out but what about when the sun goes down?  Still no kids out and about.......

One good thing to do during these hot summer days is to walk the shopping mall.  So that's when it all hit me one day as I was walking through the Ross Park Mall and had to dodge the many teens who were too busy "texting" and not watching were they were going!  Talk about a challenge: not only to avoid collisions but the urge I had to stop one or two of them and simply ask; "Just what the heck are you doing"?

Has our world become so "tech driven" that we can't survive a minute without constant contact with our electronic devices?

So maybe THAT"S where all the kids are this summer.........

Sitting in the comfort of their air conditioned homes improving their typing skills as they hold conversations with their friends for hours on end.  Forget picking up the phone and actually speaking live when it's so much more fun to send and receive via text.

Or maybe they are all busy playing their favorite video game and have only 30 something levels more to play before crowning themselves the champion!!!

Here's a challenge for all parents: can you get your kid's to take a break and go outside even if for just an hour or so?  It would be so nice to hear the voices of kids from time to time.  This neighborhood for sure is just too quiet!  Where's the sprinklers and the slip and slides and the street games and catching fire flies at night?  I MISS THOSE and would truly appreciate if we could bring just a little bit of that back to life!!!!

What say you all?