Suburban neighborhoods came with a very specific lifestyle.
You were never alone.
All you had to do was go outside, maybe knock on a few back doors, and you could get a whole squad going. Calling and texting was never part of the process, because you knew to go right to the source.
You were good at sports, or you faked it
Whenever you played outside, which was always, some sort of physical activity would ensue. You played games like baseball, tag, touch football and capture-the-flag. But sometimes you made up games like Mrs. Finkleberry, Human Pacman and Everyone Against Victoria.
There was a lot of fighting and crying.
Was it a ball or a strike? Did she really tag him with BOTH HANDS? Someone always went inside crying to mommy, because without umpires or referees on hand, things got a little disorganized.
There was a house for everything.
Where you would all play depended on what you were doing. There was a certain house that had the best swingset, and the house that had the perfect backyard for football. If it was winter, you would hang in the backyard with the best hill for sledding. And of course, whoever had the basketball hoop was God.
Manhunt was a religion.
There was nothing better than a night full of manhunt. Sometimes you would even recruit kids from other blocks or neighborhoods. If you were a true professional, you would wear all black. You spent years developing your skills and figuring out the perfect hiding spot.
Ding-dong-ditching was super relevant.
If your doorbell rang after dark, you probably didn’t even bother to answer it. You probably could have named the culprit anyway.
The injuries… oh, the injuries…
Your legs were always bruised, and your knees completely scraped. You’ve probably been stung by a bee before, or stepped in dog poop while barefoot. Swing sets were all fun and games…until you fell off. There was high risk in the suburban kid lifestyle.
The parent with the snacks = the superhero.
On the best days, someone’s mom would come out with a box full of freeze pops and everyone would stop what they were doing to load up on sugar. Then you would get right back to the game, of course.
You had separate school friends.
Summer would come to an unfortunate end, and school would begin. You would walk to school or take the bus with the kids from your block, but the second you got inside the building you all went your separate ways. You understood the importance of branching out and knew that all the neighborhood kids would be waiting outside for each other at 3:00.
You had your first brush with “fomo.”
As you got “older” – like fourth grade – and started to actually have homework, you had to listen to the joyful yelling and laughing of your friends outside. This was your first brush with responsibility, and it was not fun.
Visiting home is very nostalgic.
Whenever you’re on break and spending some time back in the old neighborhood, you envy the next generation of kids that are now running around in the same yards that you used to dominate. Even as your old neighborhood squad grows up and goes off to college, you still have that unexplainable bond every time you get together and reminisce.