What's the greatest joy of your childhood?

by Julie Wiatt

Charles Lanman with his grandson Oliver: "Going to the beach when I was a kid. We went to the beach every summer, so I remember it as far back as I can remember. We went to Ocean City. It was very exciting: the boardwalk, the rides, the waves and the beach. This young man, Oliver, is the third or fourth generation of beach goers in our family. He went to the beach the first time this summer and had a great time."

Madelyn Clark-Robinson: "The best part of my childhood was having parents who love me, and who loved and respected each other."

Zoe Briscoe: "I guess I'd add the stability and security I felt as a child. It's what a lot of kids don't have today. We had a community that really looked out for children, to the point that neighbors felt they could correct us and make sure we were safe. I had wonderful parents, strict but loving and fun. The exposed me to so much of the world. One of my favorite places was the library in Baltimore that had a fountain with fish in it. We'd listen to story hour, and listen to the fountain. It was lovely."

Louis Weil: "Parents buying you stuff. And you don't have to pay taxes."

Zack Rothman: "You don't have as much responsibility. But you still have to pay taxes; I just paid 5¢ tax in that store."

Louis: "Yeah, but not income tax."

Zack: "Everything is not as complicated when you're a kid."

Louis: "Yeah, like getting a job, getting married, getting a retirement fund."

Zack: "It's harder to get blamed for stuff when you're a kid."

Louis: "And you have a lot of leisure time. And strong muscles and resilient physiques."

Bruce Hoeft: I wake up in the morning and hear [robins singing] and I relax, because it reminds me of my childhood. But that's me as an adult, then it was hearing the Good Humor truck, and they did not play Scott Joplin or Pop Goes the Weasel, they just rang the bell. Also I loved burning leaves in the fall and Halloween. Halloween because it was dark, unregulated and we had license to go out and be bad, with no parents. When they outgrew trick or treating, about 11, the kids had shaving cream fights. They could shoot shaving cream about 20 feet. Me and my friends saved our pennies and bought whipped cream - we thought it was whipped cream fights. But you know how whipped cream comes out, it just slogs over, so we had sweet hands and they shot us with shaving soap.

Bruce Baker: "That's a tough question. There weren't that many joys. We used to play concentration camp. The big kids would torture the little kids. But I remember one joy: Unexpectedly, after I thought I wasn't going to get to go, my father took me to a Washington Senators baseball game. Eddy Brinkman was playing shortstop. They won 7-5. I don't remember who they played against. The excitement of approaching RFK stadium and the whole field opens up and your father buys you a program and you find your favorite players in it and get to really see the players you've just seen on TV - it was a real thrill."

Tai Tsang: Roller coasters! That was always a summer thing. My brother used to take me and my sister if we were good, which we usually weren't but he took us anyway. I grew up in England. We went to Alton Towers amusement park.