Childhood memories

Hi Guys,

I recall from my child hood how the then adults would say how things have changed from their time and how nice and simple things were… well to be honest I could not imagine their childhood being better than mine but to each their own view.  Admittedly, when I look at today’s youths with their no outdoor policy and minimal verbal skills and drone like behavior as they sit behind their smart phone or tablet all day, well I can come to terms with my childhood’s adults.  Who ever thought we would have gotten old or worst yet turned into our parents, aunts, and uncles, eeeewwwwh the though still gives me shudders…

Kids playing on the trace.  Source Unknown

I recall in the village there would be a Ramayana yagna; this being a religious prayers done by Hindus but in a very large manner, everyone is invited – it’s held at nights and last for an odd number of nights such as 7,9, etcetera.   Don’t worry I am not going to pull a religious sermon on you all; but the activities leading up and during this yagna was great.  Because of economic factors no one person could afford it by themselves, so the entire community would contribute and get their friends, family, coworkers, the next community, just about everyone one who is willing to contribute.  A bamboo tent is erected, (going and cutting bamboo is just one of the fun activities), and persons would decorate the tent in a very elaborate manner (especially when the form 3 art teacher comes to lend her artistic advice).  Riding on the back of a truck going and collecting wares (cooking utensils), chairs, benches, tables and other things – this is all done of course when the adults has time which is weekend or after work.

Food is prepared and when the time comes, everyone takes part in the prayers as one big family.  The food is enjoyed afterwards which is like have a huge family dinner.  They normally held a yagna during the school holidays, which meant good fun for those couple of weeks. Though we did not know it at the time, but as kids we were learning by doing.  Art and craft, cooking, constructing, wilderness, communication and people skills and a host of other skill set which in my later years I spent lots of time and money to gather formally.

Another school holiday treat would have been vacation bible school.  The church would set up a huge tent (this time tarpaulin) and our mothers were all too happy to get us out of her house and her garden.  We would learn the bible, sing songs, act in plays and the most fun is art and craft.  My class once took apart some clothes clips (wooden pegs) and made a napkin holder, and even made a swizzle stick another time that was amazing for a 9-year-old child back in the 80s.

Cricket on the road with home made equipment. Source unknown

Do you all remember the times when kids would leave home just after breakfast and return home as the sun is setting – and they got no cell phones, heck the villagers did not even have land lines, and the parents did not know the exact location of the kids.  I know it sounds like someone should call child services; but seriously those were great times and believe me you could not get into any trouble or do anything wrong because by the time you got home, even though you run straight home at a heart pounding rate somehow your mother always knows what you did.  I guess the over the fence service provider was much better than the cellphone providers’ of today.  Making and flying kites, picking mangoes and any kind of fruits in season, eating by an aunts house, (any old lady’s house who you happened to be close to at lunch time) hanging out with friends and coming home covered in dirty and mud.  I wonder if the smart phone generation of today with their gated community, no yard, homes and visiting malls and movies during the weekend is having a much better time than we did.  Well what do you all think; let me know below, share some of your childhood memories and please someone tell me that this generation knows what fun is….