Community Chat

[songbird]

The watershed or "loss of innocence" in Australia was the disappearance of the three Beaumont children.  The went out for a day on the beach.  Almost every parent did that at one time or another at the time.  Since then it completely changed how parents allow their children to go out for the day alone.  I have an Australian freind who told me that parents now would never allow that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumont_children_disappearance

Don't think this was ever solved.

[Witchy Woman]

@songbird

I only read a bit.  This kind of thing keeps me awake at night, so I don't delve too deeply.  Nevertheless, I cannot imagine the pain at such a loss.

I grew up in a small town in the midwest and we were outside all day every day in the summer.  We were alone or in groups playing, riding bikes.  We would hike several miles to a wooded, hilly area and climb up to look over the town.

That was in the late 50s, early 60s.  Our parents never worried about us or really ever checked on us.  We were free to roam.  Now, it wasn't a mall area, but still.  Children on their own for hours is something I could never imagine doing.

Certainly, I'm sure the parents of all missing children punish themselves into a living Hell.

So sad for anyone who had to experience such a horror.

[SahmIam]

@Witchy Woman  I grew up the same. Even after the sisters disappeared, we were going out all day on our bikes, exploring the woods, riding sleds down hills, etc. The difference was we were always in a group of 8 or more and we all lived next to and/or behind each other so no one walked anywhere alone.

We live where we do for the same reason: we can hear the kids outside, even in the woods. We know every parent of the kids our boys play/played with because we all live near each other (townhouse community). They all walk to school together and walk to each others' house to hang out. Being able to do this is a huge reason why we stay here instead of moving.