When I was growing up in Port Reading, summer was the best time  of year. It was a different world then.  I left early every morning to go to the park near my home to play with my friends and to get involved in the many activities planned by young adults hired by Woodbridge Township to keep us busy with arts and crafts, board games, and physical games.   My favorite was playing basketball at the park.

Each summer the park sponsored  several trips (for free) to the major league baseball games in New York – Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers – as well as Philadelphia.  My favorite was when we went to the Polo Grounds because the Giants were my favorite team.   We had poor seats but we always  tried to sneak our way into the better seats which worked many times.

As I got older I would take my bike and wander far from home – to the other side of Port Reading to play on the ball field there, to Carteret park to play there, and even into Woodbridge at times.  I was gone from early morning until supper time and no one knew where I was (or looked for me).  I loved riding my bike and worked on making it personal (even painting it florescent orange for a while).   It was my way to freedom.