Childhood Nostalgia...

Childhood memories usually fill me with momentary nostalgia as I remember the happy days of play, play and more play. My immediate neighbourhood consisted of extended family and a friendly neighbour just beyond the fence, so the children around the compound were quite a troop.

My last thought as the last school bell rang each day would be 'bye bye tight place and welcome sweet home of play.' And even though there were chores to be done here and there, they were really nothing compared to the toil of the school day, and could be just as much fun if one managed to rally the other kids to help.

Being young and foolish is a chance every kid must be allowed to have. Free of cares free of worries. No thoughts of cost of food, rent, school fees, transport... name it. After all, mum and dad provided that. Mum brought the food and dad did the 'bigger' things. Why worry about anything...? Who needed money then, except for sweets?

School wasn't exactly funless either, rising like really early and joining other kids for a joyful morning procession. (Not everyone was always happy though depending on what one might have done to offend a teacher in school the day before and what manner of punishment awaited them in school. Some would be carrying all manner of tools in readiness for the task ahead like cutting grass, gardening, cleaning etc.)

The idea of learning new things, meeting all these other kids from all over, and the ever constant promise of a better life afterwards, made school a sacred place not to be missed by the aspiring child. In my case, the thought of what dad would do to me if I even imagined quitting school was enough to keep me going and saluting the powers that be there.

We had so much space for play at home, so much freedom. I believe we grew up well and properly adjusted for simple reasons like lots of fresh air, lots of exercise (what with no TV...), healthy diet (what with no processed foods...), and friendship. Suspicion was minimal as opposed to today's tense, mean and dangerous atmosphere. There are all sorts of nutters out there these days.

Money had little to do with it (though a little bit of it did no one no harm). Quality of life, it turns out, does not always match your piggy bank. Consider some of the fellows you considered well to do while growing up. Where are some of them today?

If there is one thing about my childhood though that I was glad to leave behind, it was Primary school. I never would go back there! I consider it the worst experience of my life (in comparison, of course). My High school days were absolutely a joyful ride after those 7 years in Primary school. I mean teachers there were simply mean - the cane, horrible punishments (some lived just to invent new ways of inflicting pain on the pupils), early hours and the daily walk to and fro, to name but a few. Am sure pupils today thank God they weren't born in the days of the cane, just like in our day we thanked God we weren't born in the days of boot camp (primary school was something close to that in my father's day judging from the harrowing stories he told).

Other than that, I miss everything else and retain sweet memories of baby bliss. Granted, no one really wants to be a child again (being told what to do all the time, not earning your own money...). But the memories are good, and the experience shaped my life to what it is. Bend a tree when it's still young. I hope our kids will grow up to say the same. I hope we provide them with an enabling atmosphere.

I hope we don't lock them up in tight block of flats and forbid them to go out and play because of what we consider danger lurking outside. I hope we don't make the TV their babysitter as we busy ourselves with other things. I hope we don't produce couch potatoes while our parents brought us up so differently... I hope we cook proper meals for them and spend quality time with them.

Childhood comes but once in a lifetime. Every child has the right to be a child, without a care in the world.