Young hearts run free

You've probably seen this story by now, about the mother who let her nine-year-old take the NYC subway home alone. She's taken some flak, but I applaud her. Kids today are way too pampered. In my day we were let loose from dawn to dusk etc. Some time ago I created this map of my childhood realm.

Of course, having said that, the particular situation we're in makes the level of surveillance and vigilance we exercise on our own children exactly appropriate. Too bad, but that's the way it is. Everyone else needs to let their kids run free, however.