I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood where everyone knew everyone else. There were several children in my age bracket so my sisters and I were never lacking in playmates. In those days when playtime meant going outdoors, I knew, even without a clock or watch to tell me, that it was 4 o'clock.

It started with kids from one household who would be making the rounds around the subdivision, calling out to other children that it was time to come out and play. The in-thing those days was a bicycle. So most everyone of us had a bike that we would ride around the street like a parade. Those who didn't have one would borrow from another to have their turn.

There were mini-races, or careening down a small rough hill to get from one side of the neighborhood to the other, or playing cops and robbers so we could chase each other on bicycles.

After bikes, skateboards became the in-thing. But since this was relatively more dangerous that the two-wheelers only those with terrific balance and aptitude could show-off their skills.

To take a break, we would park our bikes (more like lay them on the street) and sit on the curb or gutters and tell stories. When once a small space was made available to us, it became a sort-of clubhouse, with an overgrown aratilis (Kerson) tree, whose sweet fruits the size of tiny cherries, we would pick and eat straight away.

It was not unheard of for one mom or house helper to call out an invitation for free snacks. It was never anything fancy, just the usual banana-que or kamote-que (saba banana or sweet potato dipped in brown sugar and fried then skewered in a barbecue stick), maybe a sandwich or cookies. And because what was more important was to have fun and play, we kids were not picky eaters.

We formed a club one summer, as most children did back then. What it was for, no one was really clear about. Eventually, this fizzled out and no one cared.

Into our teens, we progressed from biking and horsing around to playing badminton, table tennis, and volleyball. It was more structured play and even those who weren't athletic participated, just for the fun of it. And we could play until way past midnight for round two (after dinner).

Everyone's favorite game

But one game we never outgrew was 'patintero.' This is a team game, made up of two groups, played on the street with lines drawn to divide the play area into boxed sectors. The object was for the 'It' team to prevent the opposing team from crossing one end of the street and back by tagging members as they crossed each sector guarded by a member of the 'It' team.

The game required cunning, stealth, and timing to outwit each other. If one team member manages to go through the entire play area and back to the starting point without anyone being tagged, they win. If the 'It' team tags one of the opponents, even with the slightest touch, they win.

Shouts of 'homing!' would ring out as one member after another managed to reach the end and be on his way back to the starting line. This was a very boisterous game, with kids taunting each other good-naturedly.

It was one fun activity that even brought out the parents to be spectators and cheering squads. With more than a dozen kids playing, the play area could sometimes be 25 meters long. Everyone would be sweaty and panting from all the excitement.

Did we always have the same teams? No. That's why we were all good friends. Team work was important regardless of who you were playing with.

Then and now

Being children, we did have our petty fights. But these were few and far between. No one wanted to be holed up inside the house while everyone else was outside playing.

It's unfortunate that kids of today have no similar experience to remember or have memories of. All they know are gadgets and computers and online games or social media.

I guess the young of many years ago didn't have much time to fight or have huge disagreements because we were using up all our energy for play. We could run, jump, scream and shout and it was okay because we had a huge playground with open spaces.

We didn't stress out because there were bashers or stalkers or people who hated us because they envied what we posted. We simply enjoyed our childhood. There was school, and playmates, and games and sports, and secret meetings. Everything was real, not virtual.

Sure there were some kids who could be a bit more malicious or mischievous than others, but never downright evil or bad. We were raised to be respectful, even if we could enter each others' homes freely. And our parents always knew who we were playing with, so they didn't worry as much about our whereabouts.

These days parents worry even when their children are just inside the house, because they're glued to gadgets and computers and never really know who they're interacting with or what they're unearthing in the Internet.

How I wish the kids of today have their own lasting childhood memories that is just as exciting as we had then.

I will never trade my childhood for any gadget or online game available now. I loved how it was then. I appreciated the freedom it gave me, and the connections I built that were real and often, lasting.

P.S. I would have wanted to post photographs to help visualize what I've been talking about. Unfortunately, to get real good images will take a bit more work and permissions. So, I leave it to your imagination to picture what I've related here. Perhaps, I can soon find the opportunity to take my own photos and add them here later.