So what's my real problem?

OK, the fence thing has me pissed, but to be honest, I think it was just a gateway to other things that piss me off. Why does the fence piss me off so bad? It's because it's just another thing about that backyard that is worthless. It is a flat, desolate piece of land with some funky mish-mosh of grass and weeds, with one puny and probably dying maple tree, an overgrown, ugly ligustrum bush, a hacked-up, dead vine (looked like a grape, but never produced fruit) and a hackberry tree that is right in the fence line, not to mention the cracked concrete slab of a porch that tends to grow more grass than the yard! It is nothing but a gigantic, fire ant infested, dog shitter! How inviting! Makes you want to rush right out and enjoy it, right? OK, so it's ugly and useless, is that what pisses me off? A little. But what really pisses me off is that I cannot let my children go out and play. They will either step in dog shit, get stung by fire ants or get fried in the sun! This whole scenario wouldn't be as annoying to me if I felt I could let my kiddos run around outside in front of the house. But the only way that is even feasible is if I am with them. Even though my son is almost 6, I cannot justify leaving him alone in front of the house. I hear of incidents all the time, in fact one was posted to my mom's group today, about people trying to get little kids into their cars or to leave with them. Now I've gone over stranger danger with my son, but he is so friendly and knows so many of our neighbors, I think he would have a hard time distinguishing between someone he knows and someone who would want to take him. I spent the majority of my childhood running around outdoors like a fiend! I was able to run down the street to a neighbor's house or play out in my driveway. My mom didn't have to hang out with me every second, so long as I stayed where I told her I'd be. But the climate has changed, it isn't safe to leave your youngsters outside alone. Not only that, but in a year or so, he will be of an obvious school age and although most of my closer neighbors know we homeschool, if he was running around out front during school hours, I'd end up with a visit from the local truancy officer, which I seriously don't need. So I am desperate to get this yard functional. Children NEED to be outside. Someplace where they are safe, but can explore and play and run amok. I hate having them cooped up in the house, and sometimes I HATE having to drive someplace in order to have a safe environment for them to play! Mostly since pretty soon gas is going to get so damn expensive that we're going to have to start walking everywhere! I really need to win the lotto!