It’s snowing here in New York.
Huge flakes are dropping like fluffy feathers onto the evergreen and tree tops.
My neighborhood is a sugary landscape, filled with frosted glittering cupcakes.
What could be more magical and inviting for a child?
Yet, there are no children around. The only footprints I see in the marshmallow grounds are those of cats and the mailman.
I went for a long walk , pass neat houses and snow covered lawns, surrounded by picket fences. Where are the snowmen? I couldn’t find any.
The only snowmen I encountered were sad styrofoam leftovers from Christmas displays at the local shops, gazing with plastic eyes at wine bottles, shoes, ladies bras & panties and faked jewelry.
But the real ones are gone. That’s because kids aren’t out there to roll the snow, pile it, stick a carrot for a nose, top the head with a rusty can and find sticks for hands.
So where are the kids? They are home playing with their electronic devices or watching TV.
I might be a bit old fashioned but I feel that kids are being robbed out of the most basic childhood pleasures and are losing out on some great experiences my kids had when they
spent their snowy days sledding, throwing snow balls, building snowmen and shoveling their neighbor’s driveways for a few dollars and hot chocolate.