I was enjoying one of my all-time favorite kid’s movies a few days ago.
The fact that this movie was filmed in the city where I was raised makes me love it a lot.
Additionally, the film brought back memories of a simpler time in my life, when playing with my friends and running around were my only concerns. We resided on a block that had a large number of single-family homes and a few apartment buildings at the end of the block. The neighborhood’s parents and children were all acquainted with one another. It was therefore common for some of us to spend the night at one another’s homes. We actually did that a lot over the summer. We frequently stayed at the best house on the block, owned by our friend Janelle. Air conditioning was something that Janelle had in her home that many of us did not. The best part was that she had a finished basement with a window air conditioner where we would all sleep. Because Janelle’s older brother and sister had to “babysit” us on those nights, her parents were fine with us staying in the basement. We watched our favorite TV shows, ate bad food, and played games. Of course, sleeping in a cozy, air-conditioned room was the best part. There were no beds in the basement, so we all slept on the floor, but it didn’t bother us at all. In an effort to improve the experience, we occasionally constructed improvised tents and forts. Back in the day, there weren’t many places that had air conditioning, so it was a luxury. We all now reside in homes with central air conditioning, if not the majority. Unquestionably, we have made progress.