Give a listen ... When summer was a taste of Heaven

A reflective essay revisits what summer vacation felt like in the 1950s and contrasts it with the modern school calendar. The author describes summers without homework, chores, or rules, noting that school years lasted about 170 days then, compared with the current 180-day minimum. Classes were reported to end in the second half of June and resume only after Labor Day, making the season feel closer to autumn by the time school returned. The piece argues that a near-total lack of structure enabled freedom—staying out late, playing street games like wiffle ball, and returning indoors only when called for dinner or as darkness fell. It also describes neighborhoods with many row houses where children played in groups, including games with marbles and bottle caps.