I often think of the two main competing metaphors regarding the economy as this: Do we want a jungle or a garden? Many conservatives and libertarians insist we should just get out of the way and let amazing things happen. That is not my experience.
As I watched these guys in the park today, I was reminded of many of the things they didn't need to get a great workout and to play some serious soccer: uniforms, referees, cheering parents, scoreboard, official schedules and trophies.
They brought some orange plastic cones to serve as the goals. These players knew that it didn't need to be "perfect" to be worthwhile. And they focused on the process of playing, not the score. There was great camaraderie between all the players on the field. They didn't need any of the things so many parents and children think they NEED to play soccer in America.
I draw from experience similar to what I saw today. The guys in my neighborhood would put together pick-up games all the time. Soccer, baseball, football and street hockey. No parents, not referees, no scoreboards. We officiated our own games. If there were a dispute, we worked it out together. We picked the teams to make competitive matches. We knew who played well and not so well, and we divided them evenly.
As you can tell, I have some misgivings about how obsessed we have come about the "importance" of having out children play sports the "proper" way, which often includes "select" leagues and 20 mile trips to and from the site of the games.
For me, it's always a challenge shooting in the dark without a flash. I had some good practice tonight at a local concert. Guitarist Dan Rubright, percussionist Ted Rubright and bass player Rick Vice comprise "Wire Pilots," and they put on an excellent show featuring music composed by Dan Rubright. Dan's music (all of it instrumental) is difficult to classify, but it tends to be centered around salient memorable melodies supported by complex chordal and percussive textures. A special guest for one song was violinist Daniel Schmidt, a 10th grade student at Grand Center Arts Academy. The location was the Kranzberg Arts Center Studio in St. Louis.
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What's the problem with fracking? This five-minute video tells you enough to justify making it a crime. The evidence is easy to uncover, our media is largely silent, we are poisoning our precious limited supply of fresh water at a horrifying rate, and our government policies encourage all of this.
I loved the ideas and enthusiasm of Lenore Skenazy when I first heard her. She sharply criticizes helicopter parenting. She labels her approach: "Free range parenting." Actually, lots of overlap here with this talk by "Humans of New York" author, Brandon Stanton.