The Hanging Of Billy Creep

My students are not creative. They stare at me with blank expressions when I encourage them to create, to generate new ideas. Even diligent students when asked to create--to risk being original--gasp in horror as if I'd asked them to rob graves.

I have come to the conclusion that children today are not creative because they have always been entertained. Their childhood days are programmed and pressured by lessons, camps, workshops, and appointments. The remaining unscheduled hours are spent viewing television and playing video games. They are never forced to create their own play and entertain themselves, nor given the time and freedom to do so.

Growing up in the pre-television years of the early 1950s, my brothers and I were forced to be creative to escape the doldrums of summer; our survival depended on it. In retrospect, I realize that we were low-maintenance children. Our days were uninterrupted by orthodontic appointments or even regular medical or dental examinations. There were no gymnastics, ballet, or piano lessons. Summer camps were unheard of in our small midwestern town, as were Little League and other organized sports for children. In true Yankee frugality, our parents captured our entire childhood on one roll of film. We were read to, taken to church, and implored that the least we could do was to act "normal.'' We didn't know about fashion statements; nor did we understand that we were bonding--creating our own fun and making memories to sustain us...