I was born in early 1973 and I probably consumed my fair share of lead based paint.

I remember our swing set rusting away in the backyard and swinging so hard on it that it raised up out of the ground. Yes, that was fun. I remember climbing trees and scraping the hell out of my knees doing so. I remember it was only Mrs. Burke’s whistle and my mom’s blinking of the porch light that signaled it was time for my siblings and I and our friends to come home from where ever we were across the neighborhood; yes, somehow we heard the back porch light blink.

We walked to the candy store down the street…alone at an early age.

We survived.

My siblings and I are all in our 40’s. None of us died as a result of concrete under the playground at school. My parents weren’t ever sued for the neighbor kids getting hurt in our backyard; there was a rusty nail incident. We never sued them either. Our bumps and bruises were cared for and we moved on to another day of play.

I still love the taste of water from the garden hose.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photo: author provided