They’re following a strange melody!

To those as sad as me, this blog title is part of a line from an ABBA song, if you know the song you may have an inkling as to what it’s about, if not read on and find out.  If you know the song and have guessed, read on as well, it’s for everyone.

where I used to go

I grew up in a small village outside Glasgow, it was there that I played the earliest forms of video games, but not for huge lengths of time, ten minutes here, twenty minutes there not much really.  Other things were of greater importance to me, Star wars toys, friends but most of all going out to play.  If it was sunny, we were out playing, if it was raining, we were out playing, if it was dark, we were out playing.  You get the idea and I imagine that for most of you it was exactly the same.  Move forward a few years and we moved to nowhere, a house away from my friends and miles away from school, it wasn’t good, for a start I had no one to go out with.  My parents bought me a Spectrum 48k and I had a new friend, we spent huge amounts of time together, every day after school and homework  we would get together and conquer the universe or jungle or mansion.  I was13 and I suppose I didn’t really want to face the world, I was the fat kid and through taunts and bullying I was happy to shut myself away in my bedroom, my kempston rapid fire joystick was getting waggled nightly.  Forward a few years to 1988, 16 years old, taller, slimmer I re-introduced myself to the world and it was great.  Music, skateboards, train rides to Glasgow all ensued, I really didn’t play games much for years, life was good and every night there was always something to do.  I had a group of friends and we were always out, it was a one mile walk to the bus stop and six mile bus ride to see them but I made the journey faithfully every night for years.  Games came back into my life a few years later with the Mega Drive and the PS1 but socialising always came first, ahhhh the good old days!

I skated here

Twenty years on I went back to the town where I hung out, Strathaven (pronounced Straven), was my stomping ground and It hasn’t really changed much, except for one thing……where are the kids?  As I walked around the streets that were once filled with the clattering of skateboard wheels, there was nothing.  No people, no noise, no tomfoolery, nothing!  Surely this was just an isolated occurance, wasn’t it?  Nope!  I went to a few of the areas where I grew up and besides for teenage drinkers hanging round the parks, there wer no children about. Had everyone been transported away by aliens?  Nope, sadly (now you may all start shouting at me with this one, but bear with it) I think all the kids are inside playing games!  Yes I know that we all play them and it is the reason that we are on this site but I think it is wrong that during the warm summer evenings the kids aren’t outside.  I feel that they are missing out on a vital part of growing up by not being out experiencing life, a lot of the decision making processes that we learn come from life experiences, not games.  Faced with a real life situation many youngsters these days just haven’t a clue what to do because they are lacking in life skills, but could get 100 frags no bother.  So kids, put down the joy-pads, switch off the consoles and get your asses outside and see what you have been depriving yourselves of.  Meeting people is great, looking at clouds is awesome, going to concerts is fabulous, falling off your skateboard onto blaize is amazing.  There is always time to play games, I play them, I love playing them, but I also love life.

No sign of life

The ABBA song was “the Piper” and was about the pied piper of Hamlin, was that a clever title or what?


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9 responses to “They’re following a strange melody!”

  1. Tony avatar
    Tony

    I think you’re scaping the wrong goat here. If anything I’d say the kids aren’t out playing because the parents have been petrified by the Daily Mail into believing there’s a peadophile on every corner, so they don’t let their kids go out on their own.

    My childhood was similar to yours, I played games, sure, when it was dark out or raining, but other than that we were outside almost all the time, mostly hooning it round on bikes, and the only stipulation was that we were back in time for tea.

  2. Kat avatar
    Kat

    I wish I could share your concerns, but as a child I myself was almost never outside, and I didn’t get into videogames until very late in the game. I spent all my childhood days sitting on the living room floor playing with tinker toys, myself. Ah, the good ol’ days.

    Then again, my parents were of the early “there is a pedophile on every corner” demographic, so that may have had something to do with it.

  3. Michael avatar
    Michael

    I can’t say I’ve seen such an absence of children from the streets, although it may not be as… common as years ago.

    I was outside all the time, climbing trees, occasionally peddling away from the local bullies like a maniac (while laughing). And tons of other stuff. Like, erm, playing this kind of game where one person was a killer and did the deed by blinking… I was young, it kept us out of trouble and we were effectively being babysat by some teenage girl who, in hindsight, appears to have modelled herself on Good Sandy. In fact, her whole family was decent which was pretty strange where I lived.

    But then, I did get into gaming quite late; I was about 13 I think.

    Now, I don’t think there are such role models in my old estate. Or even where I live now. Maybe it’s a case of “Grr, you young people! In my day…” on my part though?

  4. Michael avatar
    Michael

    Peddling? Pedalling even! Yeah, that’s right, I even correct myself!

  5. Modfather avatar
    Modfather

    I think the crime/knife crime involving kids these days (teen stabbing) keeps them off the street. And I hear a lot of parents say they are happier when they know what there kids are up to.

    But yes I remember coming in from school, and it was as quick as you could get changed to get out and play until you were reluctantly called in for your diner. Then it was straight back out as fast as your wee legs could take you 🙂

  6. Martin avatar

    I suppose I should point out that I have a 7 year old daughter who loves going out to play, but within a small distance. I also have 15 year old stepson who will not go out, as hard as we try, he just wants to play his 360, much like his friends. When I say kids, I mean the teens really, I should have made that clear.
    I think really I`ve just noticed recently that the streets are a lot quieter than when I was young, and this was my theory why, partly based on what I see at home. I wrote all this on my Wii, wow!

  7. Tony avatar
    Tony

    Aged 15? Hiding in his room “playing games”? I bet he’s shaking the Sixaxis, waving the Wiimote, bashing out a high score…

    And to think when I was a teenager I used to just hide in my room and w*nk a lot.

  8. Michael avatar
    Michael

    Video games… they stop you going blind.

  9. Wilson avatar
    Wilson

    I am the 15 year old stepson that was mentioned and to be honest I would rather be inside playing my 360 than outside where i would have to listen to d*ckheads talk sh@t for god sake martin managed to confuse them once by looking at his wrist and saying that the police would arrive soon…

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