June 27, 2005

I raised hundreds of them

I read this post and experienced a combination of regret and nostalgia. I raised many a random tadpole into a full-grown frog when I was young.

I learned that I could steal appropriate empty paint cans from the local construction sites, sink them in the canal behind my neighborhood, and pull up all the tadpoles (or "polywogs"--- the BIG bullfrog puppies) I wanted to catch. I took them home and put them in a washtub I used for raising frogs. I fed them fish food and watched them grow.

I had some rocks in there so that they could get out of the water and learn to breathe regular air when my "pets" became mature enough. When they shed their tails and grew legs, I took them back to the canal and turned them loose to live Born Free. A few managed to hop out of my "aquarium" on their own, but they usually didn't last long. Dogs or cats would eat them.

But I probably served as a surrogate father for AT LEAST 500 frogs back in those days. I liked watching the metamorphosis occur, and I liked turning the frogs loose when they were old enough to fend for themselves.

Yeah. I was "Frog-Daddy."

I didn't have a Playstation II when I was a boy. I had the woods, the canal, some empty paint cans and a #3 washtub to amuse myself with. I think I had more fun doing what I did than ANY kid can get from a video game today.

But maybe I'm wrong. If little Junior sits on his ass in front of a video screen all day, at least you know where he is and what he's up to. He's not out in the woods catching tadpoles, where he pulls up the occasional paint bucket with a water moccasin curled up in it.

No. Gameboy is a lot "safer" than what I did. Still--- I wouldn't trade my experiences for all the Gameboys in the world. I really did grow up like Huck Finn. I wouldn't swap that kind of childhood for anything I see kids doing today.

They lead sheltered lives. I grew up wild.