MOM WRITES PERMISSION SLIP FOR BOYS TO CLIMB TREES

Julia Holcombe’s sons Ryan and Patrick, both 12, often climb trees with their friends after school in Yardley, Pennsylvania. But last week, a mean old man – a stranger – approached the kids as they played, then immediately told them to get out of the tree they’d climbed. The man was concerned the boys would fall out of the tree, injuring themselves and putting their school at legal risk. But Julia thought that was a little ridiculous – so she wrote her kids a permission slip. She wrote: “My children have permission to climb any tree they so desire. In fact, I encourage it, whenever and wherever they can, for as long as they both shall live. I can think of few things better than knowing they are spending their time playing outside in the fresh air, taking advantage of the beautiful playground that nature can provide, getting exercise, using their imagination, chatting with their squad of friends, all while climbing a tree.” She also gave Ryan and Patrick permission to pick up sticks and play unsupervised sports, just in case.
* A bit smug and self-righteous, but point taken.
* It’s cute, but a lawyer would rip it to shreds.
* Seriously – any tree? Even on private property?
* A mean old man? I didn’t know Bernie Sanders was campaigning in Pennsylvania.
* Yes, but the trees were covered in poison oak, you see, and the man was trying to be helpful.
* Maybe the kid’s were up there looking into his daughter’s bedroom window?
* I wish she hadn’t said “as long as the kids both shall live.” That was creepy.
* In fact, this whole story is creepy.
* Call me paranoid but all I can think of is all the ways things could go wrong here.
* Starting with the creepy old guy and moving out from there.