Saturday, June 10, 2006

A Glance Back

I was reading my sister’s blog the other day and a post called, ‘Baby Boomers’ made me smile. I reminisced about my childhood and about the way things were, thought about the many things that went on then, for which we are certainly none the worse off.
I think that children today are given too much and don’t have to think enough for themselves. They have grown up in a ‘do it for me’ and ‘have it now’ ethos where the notion of making and doing for yourself and an ‘in good time’ has gone. As a youngster l loved creating things, going out all day with friends on adventures, using my imagination, staging plays, dressing up etc. Life seemed new, brilliant, endless… Ok we had no televisions, video games, DVD’s, stereos etc. in our rooms but we had friends to play over and books! A cardboard box, a patch of backyard and a dripping piece (sandwich) was a day of fun and relative safety. People, children and grown ups were more at ease with themselves and their lives – the world was a simpler and a safer place to be around in. Now it seems much smaller, more dangerous, and has lost its sense of mystery and wonder about life and spirituality.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying it is all bad, my older two are sensitive creative souls who are also adept with technical things which can only serve to help them in the future but, l still feel sad that they have perhaps missed out on a simpler and more self-sufficient way of going about life. Childhood and innocence has been foreshortened by the pressure of commercialism so that sometimes children are almost grotesque imitations of adults when they should still be being children.
Some other things that l feel sad are no longer about:
• The Rag & Bone man- l loved having a peek in his van with mum and her neighbours- l loved getting a wee balloon or sweetie from him too- there was something magical about the whole experience- the vivacious chit chat of ladies queuing and kids desperate for swaps.
• Having your milk delivered to your door in glass bottles- l miss the silver lids- l miss the creamy bit at the top- l remember my mother disgusted with the birds when they’d peck through the lids to get at the cream before us. Young boys could get a job on the delivery trucks, l remember the clatter when the milk was placed on the doorstep- 6 pints each day and full cream!
• I feel saddened/angered that the government did away with allocating milk at primary schools- l loved getting my milk in the mornings (there’s just another thing that my wee boy will not experience).
Over the years the milk containers changed in design, from regular rectangular cartons, to pyramids where you ripped off the top and stuck in your straw but my favorite was the miniature glass bottles- just like the ones on our doorstep at home.
• Tuck-shop at school
• Climbing trees with neighbourhood boys for conkers- l was always a tomboy in that way. Outside all the time ~ at least you can say we were never peely-wally (pale).
• Playing jorries (marbles), again with the boys in the school ground- we used the metal grates for different twists on certain games.
• Tiddley Winks, Dominos, steel roller skates, etc.

A lot of these things are gone now- things that made
the world a nicer place to live, encouraged social interaction within communities and wired deep-rooted memories ~ for me, memories that will last a lifetime.

7 comments:

TJ said...

Wow...I loved your reminisce!!
I was a tomboy too...got lots of sunburns...but I am glad for the modern inventions of sunblock...sunburn was very painful, not to mention the places on your skin you have to have removed later in life.
A mix of the old and modern ideas would be nice for our chillun's and ourselves.
Thanx for sharing!
:-D

Alice said...

Jellyheadrambles has a good posting on a similar subject with some good comments, too.

Marion McCready said...

whose that cute little boy on the right?!

Jellyhead said...

Hi Horizon, thanks for visiting my blog! Looks like we both think alike - posting on the same topic. I was prompted to re-examine all my thoughts about parenting after reading that book I mentioned. I think we all feel guilty about not spending enough one-on-one time with our kids, yet this book was saying kids need plenty of time to invent their own games, play without direction etc - just like you (and I, too) remember from our own childhoods. Apparently many teachers are deploring the kids coming through schools now, who find it difficult to get on with things without full attention and direction. So yay! we can stop feeling so damn guilty about that one!
You are most welcome to add me to your list of blogs... I'm flattered :)

Best wishes,
Jelly

somershade said...

I was a tomboy,still am.
I wish my kids could play kickball and other games all day long on summer break, like we did.You are exactly correct on all of it.Rush, rush, rush.

Good post.We never got milk at our door.You were blessed on that one. The USA hasn't done that for several generations back.

SnowWhite said...

Hi sis, gee wizz thats a lot of memories, remember sitting in between the handle bars of the chopper bikes and loving the wind in your face. Midge bites were worn proud cause you knew you'd spent your day well. And sharing an ice lolly with your siblings slebbers n all. lol and yet we never died lol. loved reading that and am looking forward to having our first cuppa in lord knows how many years. Love you RR from SW

Hawkeye The Noo said...

great memories but you left out the great tasting rosehip syrup that was so good for you but rotted your teeth and the jumping over elastic bands; bet you would struggle to get under them now never mind over them lol

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