Dear Friend,When I was a kid growing up, my buddies and I all lived within a few blocks of each other. In the summer we always somehow showed up at the park every morning at the same time, bikes converging from every direction. We'd play ball, breaking for lunch, paper routes and dinner, but return and play until dark - sometimes taking the game under the streetlights. We didn't have watches. If one of us got hurt, we'd go to the nearest boy's house and his mom would patch us up. We'd leave our bikes in our backyards; we never heard of a wheel lock. We had trees we climbed. The girls chalked out hopscotch patterns on the sidewalk. If someone's parents got a new Chevy, we'd all be there, sniffing in the new car smell and marveling at the design.It was a simpler time. Some people believe ... 03/20/2008