When I was a kid (boy, writing that makes me feel old), we had vacant lots here and there and we spent hours in them. We played catch with footballs, whacked baseballs around and, if my friends were busy, I would take a pitching wedge and some old golf balls and spend hours hitting pitch shots.
It was a great way to spend a few hours in the sunshine, getting some exercise. It was fun for us kids and, quite often, late in the day, the grown ups would come out and join in. It was spontaneous, unstructured, and good for all of us.
Now, I see very few big vacant lots around and playing baseball, football, or golf in tiny backyards is a recipe for trouble. Folks tend to get a bit testy when various balls come sailing toward the windows and cars. Yeah, there are things like little league and there are driving ranges to hit golf balls but, you know what? Sometimes, often, just doing things on the spur of the moment, with no goal except having fun, is a lot better.
Despair not. Just remember, there are whiffle balls and Nerf balls. You can bang them around, throw them, hit them, and never worry about doing damage to anything. Yes, they are silly and you never know exactly how they are going to react, but you're not playing in The World Series or the Super Bowl and you're not out to win the Masters. You're just trying to have some fun, get some air and exercise your body.
I don't know if folks still play badminton but it is a a lot of fun. If you have room and time to set up the net, great, but, if not, who cares? It is just as much fun to simply bat the shuttlecock around, and again, I know of nothing you can break with the little plastic birdie.
The point is to have some fun, spend time with friends, family and neighbors and get some exercise. The old saying, 'move it or lose it,' applies to your health. Your body likes to move around and, if you ignore that, your body will not be kind to you when you age.
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