The olden days

This morning, Caty and I were driving to her swim lesson at Marist. And right there on Route 9 somewhere between home and the area around the mall, I got a glimpse of my past - a gold Cadillac Coupe de Ville. This is one of the few memories I have of my childhood when my parents were still married. My dad had a huge gold Caddy. The thing was a tank. I remember my sister and I sitting in the back and feeling like we were so far away from my mom and dad in the front. I mean, our feet barely hung over the front of the seat never mind touch the floor! I was telling Caty about that and how seatbelts were different back then and that we didn't even have to wear them. My lovely daughter asks "Mom, how come you didn't have to wear seatbelts back in the olden days?" The olden days? Did my child just say that to me? I am not even 40! How can she consider me old? Those few silver (not gray) hairs in my scalp are just a fluke, a sign of stress - not at all related to my age! But, she's right. To her, I'm olden. When I was Caty's age, my mom was 34 and my dad was 32 and I thought they were old! I thought my dad was the king of cool. He would come home and sit in his brown velour, plastic-covered "dad chair" and drink his 7 and 7 and put his cigarettes out in that giant colored glass ashtray that sat on the marble inlay of the side table. His feet rested on the rust colored shag carpet and he watched our wooden console television. I still think my dad is awesome, but back then he was like Superman to me. That is such a huge responsibility! And the more I think about it, the more I worry that I am doing things right now that will affect my kids for life. I felt so bad this weekend because Caty just seemed bored. I wish we lived in a neighborhood with younger kids. I wish it didn't have such a busy road and there was someone nearby that she could just play with. My parents didn't have to entertain me when I was a kid. I had the park and the kids in the neighborhood and we just went outside and played. I know it was a different time. I miss it. Not just for me, but for my kids. It's not that I want to just send them out the door after breakfast and see them back at dinner. I want them to be so absorbed in life and playing and friendship and fun that they don't want to come back in the house! I want the olden days for my girls!