Long live the Oregon Trail!

Can you imagine being in elementary school right now?  Think about how much life has changed since you were in elementary school - for me that was almost 20 years ago.  20 years ago!  20 years ago very few people had computers in their homes, so the expectation was that you, dare I say it, wrote your homework on loose leaf.  20 years ago we took a computer class where we learned to type (QWERTY style), we learned to save our documents (using a floppy disk), and we played Oregon Trail (Hollllerrrrr)!  The Oregon Trail taught us to fend for ourselves.  We had to shoot buffalo, if you were lucky, and use all of it to sustain life.  We had to fight diptheria for heaven's sake!!  20 years ago we did math facts on a chalk board.  We used transparencies.  We played outside.  Yes people, we actually interacted with one another in the fresh air.  We didn't just in our bedrooms with a headset playing robot video games. 

So much has changed since we were all in school.  In fact, I have heard that they have officially stopped teaching cursive in elementary school.  YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?  Cursive may not be used all that frequently these days with the influx in computer usage, but knowing how to write is imperative!  I can remember back to 3rd grade, Mrs. Morrissey's class, when we were learning how to write in cursive.  We had the big ol' pencils and the trace paper, and we wrote Aa, Bb, Cc, over and over and over again until we got the hang of it.  In all honesty, I couldn't do a cursive uppercase Q if you paid me right now, but back then, I was a pro.

Then in 4th grade, when you were learning how to use a check book, you had sign your name on the check.  Cursive.  When you were taking CAT testing, you had to sign the scantron to say that you weren't cheating.  Cursive.  When you were 16 and you got your driver's license, you had to sign the little box to say that you promise you are who you say you are.  Cursive.  When you get married, you need to sign the marriage license.  Cursive.  How can they just stop teaching the youth of America how to sign their name?

And back to the topic of playing outside.  When we were younger, we did everything we could to be outside for as long as possible.  We played games.  We did sports.  We chased each other.  We played kick the can!  We never knew what time it was.  We judged the day based on when we had to go in for lunch, and then again when all of the parents started to get home from work.  Nowadays, kids have cell phones to check the time.  They never interact with one another in person.  They sit inside and talk on the computer or play video games.  It's so sad.  You know you see these youtube videos of 2 year olds playing on an iPad.  When I was two, I was allowed to watch one Barney episode a day and then I had to use my imagination; you know, exercise my brain!

When the time comes, I vow to let my children play outside until the street lights come on.  I vow to bring back the innocence of childhood before computers and cell phones.  I will teach my child how to hold a real-life conversation.  I vow to teach them cursive.  And most importantly, I vow to teach my children the Oregon Trail!!