There was no such thing as “stranger danger” when I grew up in the late 1950-60’s. We lived in a more innocent time. Parents didn’t need to watch their children as closely as they do now. Children were allowed to roam the neighborhood freely because every mother on our street kept an eye on the kids as we played. My mother had two younger babies to care for, so she was glad to have us play outside.
I was around seven years old when we met the new neighbors. Their children were older than my younger brother, Matt, and me, but we were fascinated by them. Especially a boy named Huck. His family had moved from a rural area into the city of Birmingham. He was twelve or thirteen, but even then, I knew he wasn’t like other teenagers. He liked to play with little kids. He would sit and play in the dirt, making mud pies or pushing trucks around with my younger brother for hours.
In the summer, we had to rest after lunch. Our house had a large upstairs room where my three little brothers slept on one side, and our toys were kept on the other side of the room. After being sent upstairs for a nap one day, I was lying beside the open window. There was a cool breeze blowing the curtains as I began to read my book. I heard something hitting the side of the window. Looking down, I saw Huck grinning at me. He said, “What ‘cha doin?” Shushing him, I whispered, “We’re resting.” He grinned, “I wanna come up.” By this time, three-year-old Matt was at the window and said, “There’s a ladder by the gate.” Before I could stop him, the boy had gotten the ladder, put it against the house, and climbed up. Matt helped him in through the window.
Huck and Matt played with the cars, but they soon forgot about being quiet. I knew we would get in trouble if Momma found out, so I moved away and kept reading my book.
A little while later, the downstairs door opened, and Momma came up the stairs. When she saw Huck sitting there with Matt, she screamed! Huck screamed, jumped up in fright, and dove through the window. I don’t know if he went down the ladder or landed on the driveway. Momma called Daddy. When Daddy came home that night, Matt and I got our first lesson on the danger of letting strangers in the house. I couldn’t understand because Huck wasn’t a stranger to us. But, we didn’t see Huck for a long time, and he never played in our yard again.
Father, thank You for the innocence of children. I pray that You will protect the purity of today’s children. Keep them from danger, and allow them to enjoy the blessings of innocence in their childhood. Amen.