Wow. And to think I almost didn't include the Chabon link.
Personally, I identify with Chabon because growing up in the Nashville suburbs, my "playground" was creeks, railroad tracks and patches of woods by the lake. We were always told not to go to certain places, but sometimes we did it anyway, and no one really watched over us – so long as we were back by dinnertime.
I can't imagine that it's really any more dangerous to do these things than they were 40 years ago. I fully understand why parents want their kids to grow up safe and trauma-free – but being overprotective does come at the expense of something else.
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Personally, I identify with Chabon because growing up in the Nashville suburbs, my "playground" was creeks, railroad tracks and patches of woods by the lake. We were always told not to go to certain places, but sometimes we did it anyway, and no one really watched over us – so long as we were back by dinnertime.
I can't imagine that it's really any more dangerous to do these things than they were 40 years ago. I fully understand why parents want their kids to grow up safe and trauma-free – but being overprotective does come at the expense of something else.