The Slice
Every generation believes it invented summer.
No harm in that, I suppose.
But it does make you wonder what sort of pressure this puts on kids. I mean, how are they supposed to compete when grandpa’s stories of hot-weather adventures make Huck Finn seem like a shut-in?
You know what I’m talking about. In the hands of a decent storyteller, a long-ago game of hide-and-seek can sound like a mythic saga of struggle and redemption, replete with verdant aromas, glowing fireflies and crackling transistor radios.
That’s the magic of nostalgia.
Still, each new summer offers a clean slate.
Today’s kids are reputed to be hyper-programmed, video-game addled therapy clients in the making. But summer loves them, all the same. And it’s about to beckon.
I hope they go for it.
Someday it will be their turn to tell the stories.
Paul Turner