One of the things I had, that I'm sorry my kids don't, is a tiny, dingy local movie theater where you could go on Saturday and see movies cheap with hordes of other neighborhood kids and misbehave harmlessly. Very few independent neighborhood one-screens left. /1

/2 I used to ride my bike to the movie theater in Montrose. It burned down in the late 80s, but in the 70s and 80s it was the place to be. $5 for a double feature of, say, a Jaws sequel and a Bond movie. Sticky floors and ancient creaking seats.

/3 The atmosphere was genially riotous. We used to buy a box of jawbreakers for 25 cents and release them on the concrete floor at the back of the theater during dull scenes so they would clatter noisily down the sloped floor. This was the peak of wit.

/4 You would not see a serious movie there. Only popcorn movies, suitable for a summer day without a care in the world. There was an ice-cream place next door, and you could follow the movie with a root beer float and try not to hurl while riding the bike back up the hill.

/5 Now I'd NEVER let a kid ride a bike into Montrose, even if the theater were there, which it isn't, and even though I am very aware that it's objectively very safe.

We had so much freedom.