As I was walking back from getting coffee today (with a friend earlier), I reminded myself to become more alert regarding the people passing by. On the left side of the road near a quick-stop, I spotted a young boy around the age of 7 maybe 8. He was coming out of the quick-stop convenience store carrying a bag with the biggest smile on his face. There was something about his face that really made me stop and smile. It was a fairly quick moment. Thus, I'm not entirely sure what was in the bag. But I can guess that he had been allowed to explore the options on his own. And whatever he chose with his money-well...it made his day. 

He took that bag, placed it around the handlebars of his bike and began to bike back towards home in the neighborhood adjacent the store. And I suppose I started to think about the choices we make as adults and the potential freedom our children have. Because where I grew up, you never saw kids taking their bike out and biking to the convenience store for a piece of candy. In fact, these days, you rarely see kids out running around or sifting through the woods or traveling on their bike to freeing places-like a convenience store with enough options to make an individual smile. 

I think freedom to explore is one of life's simplest pleasures. But also one that has been lost on our generation. And I guess some would argue, "Well sending a kid that age on a bike to a store in a city is not very safe." Well-I suppose so...but if all of us got to know our neighbors better. That city is just a street filled with neighbors. Like that boy who was talking to everyone around him near that convenience store. And a neighborhood really isn't scary at all.