I was so determined to hit Jimmy Miller in the shins with my toboggan that I didn't notice the pond.
Maybe I'd better explain.
Winter is upon us. When the snow falls, there's only one place a kid should be: out in the elements, riding sleds down slippery slopes.
Too few children do that anymore.
That's why they're suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by journalist Richard Louv in his book "Last Child in the Woods."
Louv spent 10 years traveling around America interviewing parents, kids, teachers, researchers, and others to learn about children's experiences with nature.
His findings?
By withdrawing from nature, children lose their sense of being rooted in the world. They're more likely to experience stress, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder, and other modern maladies.
But immersing them in nature produces the opposite result.
"We don't yet know why it happens, but when all five of a child's senses come alive, a child is at an optimum state of learning," Louv told me. "Creativity and cognitive functioning go way up."
A 2025 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health supports Louv's findings. It found that unstructured play in natural settings improves cognitive function and reduces attention fatigue.
Which brings us back to Jimmy Miller.
One Sunday afternoon, after a fast run down the hill, I picked up my cheap, plastic toboggan and began to climb the hillside for another run. That's when Miller tagged me.
Unlike most kids, who rode sleds solely for the thrill of whipping down the hill, Miller got his kicks out of knocking kids off their feet. He hit me just below the knees, causing me to go posterior over tin cups.
I spent the rest of that day with vengeance on my mind. I made several runs looking to tag Miller back. I finally saw my opportunity. Just after he jumped on his sled and took a run, I jumped onto my plastic toboggan just behind him.
My timing was superb. As he finished his run and got on his feet, I hit him square in the shins, causing him to go posterior over tin cups.
So delighted was I with my success, I didn't notice the pond at the bottom of the hill on the other side of Miller.
You see, Mr. Ayres had dammed up the creek that ran through his yard to form a small pond a few feet deep.
Just after I hit Miller, I landed in the pond's center on a patch of thin ice — which quickly broke, sending me to the muddy bottom.
Drenched and freezing cold, I barely made it home — though, having repaid Miller, I was grinning the whole way.
I was lucky I got to spend my childhood out in the elements — free to play, roam, and discover.
I was lucky I had to figure some things out on my own — such as how to deal with ruffians on the sled slopes.
Hey, winter is upon us.
Let's get our kids to turn off their smartphones and video games and head to snow-covered hills for some much-needed exhilaration.
There are few better ways to ignite all five senses — and foster healthy, creative minds.
Find Tom Purcell's syndicated column, humor books, and videos of his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at tom@tompurcell.com.