As i child, i grew up in the suburbs of Marlboro, New Jersey for the first 6 years of my life. It was only natural to have fond memories of the great place that solved all my boredom problems, the place I went to whenever I could just to have time to myself: the backyard.
My backyard was quite different from the one I have right now. I remember a white fence surrounding the area. A few feet out from the back door, a grassy slope formed, covered with various white, pink, and yellow flowers. At the very top of that hill, our family had our own personal swimming pool, complete with pool chairs and tables. I remember it went up to fourteen feet deep. Beyond that was the wilderness of the woods, where I do not remember ever venturing into.
The backyard was a place of wonders. Something different could be done each and every day. One day its staring at the clouds for no particular reason, another day its watching and helping my dad catch wild rabbits (which were released later). I remember every winter, there would be at least a foot of snow, and many snow days. We had a sled resembling a huge red trash can lid, and the hill would provide hours of fun, letting us zoom down again and again without tiring. During the summers, there was always the swimming pool. Some friends would be invited over, and everything would be set for a party. We even had a tiny inflatable boat and and lots of noodles for neverending entertainment. Even in cooler seasons like fall and spring, the water could be heated for convenience. I remember rolling down the long grassy slope day after day. I never got tired of it. I seemed to have everything a kid needed in life when i was little.
Childhood seems to be the time to enjoy everything and have fun. Children have less sense of danger and caution, so they seem to never be afraid to try new things, jumping off of swings or somersaulting into a pile of freshly fallen leaves. Once they get older, there is schoolword to do, and everyone seems more aware that they could get hurt if they jump off swings. I will always remember the days of childhood, where every day seemed full of fun and excitement, but now I think it is more important to concentrate on school work and grades.
