It Was the Summer of 69’

By Steven Pollio

As the Brian Adams’ song goes, “It Was The Summer of 69.” A lot has changed since then. Growing up in south Florida, I was eleven years old as was my best friend Ray. I remember getting up early and heading to Ray’s house on the next block. From there we would head out to the neighborhood, unlike today’s kids, we did not have computers, video games, nor did we like to sit around watching television. We were kids on the move. First, we would head out on our bikes to the local elementary school which was about a mile and half from our houses. There we would participate in organized ball games, art and crafts, or simply just hang out. As noon approached, we would head to one of our homes for lunch. After lunch, it was straight to “Fun Hill” which was located in the back of our neighborhood. “Fun Hill” as we called it, was simply just an abandoned field which contained a six foot high pile of dirt. That’s where my friend Ray and I actually invented BMX bike racing. We raced each other and other friends until it was time to head home for family dinner.

Looking back it is surprising that Ray and I never got into trouble or got hurt. But that wasn’t the case for two of our friends. One of our friends “Mark” was also heading back from the elementary school. He was crossing a four lane road and didn’t quite make it across before getting hit by a car. Mark suffered a broken leg and was in a cast for about two months. Mark did make a full recovery. Although I didn’t realize it then, Mark was extremely lucky, he could have suffered a head or brain injury, been killed, or could easily have suffered a permanent leg injury.

On another summer day, we saw lots of police cars and an ambulance in our neighborhood. We would find out the next day that one of the kids we didn’t know very well was shot and killed as he and his friends played with their father’s hand gun in their living room

Recalling these unfortunate incidents make me think how lucky Ray and I really were, and that maybe things have not changed so much. These kind of incidents still happen every day. So as the summer of 2010 approaches, please sit down with your kids and talk about some of the things that can happen to them during the summer, or for that matter, things that can happen all year long. Bicycle safety is a must, how to properly cross streets, and don’t forget the helmet. Kids are never too young to discuss gun safety. Gun safety can be made very simple. If your kid is at a friend’s house, and a gun appears, your child needs to simply leave. Fireworks should be limited to use by adults, while children are kept at a safe distance, or better yet, save your money and attend a public fireworks display. Also of the utmost importance is keeping hydrated while outside in the summer heat. Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t forget to clean and maintain your barbeque grills. Most grill fires occur because of a lack of maintenance. And of course consider pool fences, pool alarms, and elevated door locks to prevent childhood drowning.

Let me also remind you to check your hurricane supplies, buy now, and avoid the lines.

In closing, allow me to wish all of you a very happy and safe “Summer of 2010”.