When was the last time a neighborhood kid knocked on your door, wanting to mow your lawn?

I suspect it has been a while.

Mowing lawns used to be the cornerstone of the midyear kid economy. But times have changed.

Why? Take your pick.

1) Liability: Power mowers can be dangerous.

2) Legal issues: It's unlikely the neighborhood kid using his family's mower is licensed and bonded.

3) Work ethic: People my age often enjoy suggesting that kids today are not made of the same stuff we were.

An enterprising youth used to be able to make a fair amount of money mowing lawns. But the cash isn't the only thing lost.

Once upon a time, boys who mowed lawns all summer got to regard themselves as working men. You almost expected them to go home and pop open a coldie after a day of cutting grass.

I'm sure there were valuable lessons to be learned about work, reliability and all that. But the fanciful notion of a 13-year-old acquiring a hardhat mentality might be the biggest loss.

Sure, it was a bit of an affectation. Still, it was a summer classic. But like so many things that seemed like permanent fixtures of middle class American life when I was 13, it has all but faded away. 

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