Growing Up in Indiana
I grew up from 1963 to 1973 on the shores of Lake Michigan. At this time kids were allowed to roam without supervision. At ten, I was allowed to roam without adult supervision. I learned to think for myself and deal with trouble without adult supervision. This was a cool time to be a kid.
I spent summers on the beach and playing baseball. Sailing in a small sailboat, learning to swim, sail, canoe, life saving, and camping. Summers seemed like they lasted forever.
Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to grow up before cell phones, the internet, and social media. During the summer, we were outside from sunrise to sunset. In winter, we played in the snow, sledding, playing hockey on frozen lakes, and building snow forts. Winters were cold, and we were outside most of the time.
I started schooling in Long Beach, Indiana. The school I attended closed, but the building is still there. It houses a community center and a few small businesses.
When I began high school, my family moved south to a small town in Central Indiana called Peru. It was near Chili, Indiana, and Mexico, Indiana. I used to ride my bicycle 10-15 miles on Saturdays through these small towns. My favorite town was a post office in the middle of thousands of acres of farms. Tin Cup, Indiana. There was a sign entering the town with a population of 15, crossed out, 14.
I spent high school riding my bike on the weekends. I did several sports and was an average student who excelled in classes I enjoyed. When bored, I received a "C" grade. I had three classes that I loved and received high grades.
Science fiction, which involved reading books and writing reports. A biology class in which we had to collect plant species and press them in a book. I enjoyed hiking into the woods and collecting specimen plants. I also had a class studying words. Greek and Latin derivatives.
I left home to go to college in Florida for one year, then transferred to Purdue University, where I got a degree. I was lucky to have grown up during that time and in those places. I’ve never lived in Indiana as an adult, but I learned my sense of adventure there.