Day Fifty-Nine

A million years ago, I delivered newspapers. That's how you know I'm old, by the way, I not only remember real newspapers that were delivered 7 days per week, but I was an actual person who carried a bag of newspapers while riding a bicycle around my neighborhood. Delivering newspapers was pretty much the only job you could legally have at the age of 10/11, so that's the job I had.

That was DEFINITELY a different time, by the way. Not only did I deliver newspapers door-to-door, I was responsible for collecting payments door-to-door as well. I had a set amount I had to turn into the newspaper every month, so the only way to turn a profit was to make sure that everyone I delivered to paid me.

Every month I would knock on every door along my route and ask for payment. I went into stranger's houses and waited for them to write a check or gather enough cash. Sometimes I stood there awkwardly for a loooong time because people are never really in a hurry to pay a bill. There was one house where I was always a little nervous standing there because their husky/wolf mix would stare.

Just stare.

He had the brightest blue eyes and was a gorgeous dog, but he was also definitely part wolf. He wasn't friendly AT ALL, though he never actually did anything aggressive. He just stared. Awkwardly. And made you want to run away.

Another house was weird to go to because the little boy who lived there was nonverbal. I believe he had Down's Syndrome, though it was a million years ago so I may be misremembering. Regardless, he often would open the door and let me in when I stopped at his house to collect, but then he would sit down and watch TV. And there were no adults around. Anywhere. I think maybe his mom worked nights and thus was sleeping when I stopped by, but I never actually found out because my interactions were always only with the little boy who didn't say a word. I only ever got paid because I figured out to write a note and leave it with him, and then would find a check taped to the door the next day.

Another house just across the street definitely didn't have adults home during the day. It was a girl and two boys. The girl was one year older than me and her brothers a few years ahead of her. That happens to be the house where we used a Slip and Slide indoors and didn't get sent to juvenile detention, so there DEFINITELY weren't adults around.

That was sort of the theme of my childhood. No adults. We were largely unsupervised ... all of us. We rode our bikes around the neighborhood from early in the morning until the sun went down each night. Somehow we always managed to entertain ourselves and stay safe, I guess because that was just the expectation. Go do something. Be safe while you're doing it. I'll see you later. That's what parenting was all about.

We're fifty-nine days into a global pandemic and I have realized I have that exact parenting style going on. While the girls can't go play with neighbors, I do expect them to go figure out how to entertain themselves all day while also being safe ... AND THEY DO IT. Some how, some way, each and every day they manage to get their school work done and play a lot, and they do it without me guiding activities.

Which ... huh. Whowouldathunk that was possible?