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Growing Gains or should I say Pains?…Personal story

jacquelineobyikocha

Children at play

Delving into my brain and trying to excavate a remembrance of a toy that my parents deprived me of in my archive of childhood memory bank, I come up a bit short.

Though I recollect begging off some Goody-Goody rubbery chocolate bite and Bazooka Joe chewing gum, from a childhood mate and wishing that I had my own kobo to purchase some. Those things were sweet!

It turned out that she had pinched some kobo’s from her mothers purse and the butt-cracking whoop she got sobered my aspirations in my head. You could hear her mothers paddling and querulous voice as well as my friends wailing  in the entire neighbourhood.

Back then, your parents would discipline you openly and the auntie next door would probably chip in her own reprimand, to spice up matters. The fear and shame kept you on the straight and narrow for quite a long time. It was just the way things were.

My life was shaped with love, laughter, rebuke and encouragement and maybe I didn’t know better, but we hardly took much notice of material things that seemed lacking.

As a child, I was raised in a community where everyone was virtually at par in wealth. A decent home, a utility car to get you around, a university staff school for the children, a common playground and other haunts where we got up to all sorts of mischief.

In my minds eye, our parents pockets never overflowed with golden pennies but they provided the best of the basics and the little treats now and again, meant a whole lot.

Shopping malls did not dot the landscape as is obtainable these days and going to the few that existed then, was a treat in itself. Today’s digital gadgets were non-existent, even our television was a Black and White Grundig that came on only in the evenings after the National anthem and watching those cartoons was a privilege.

Most times, we amused ourselves creating our own kites, building cars from discarded tires, crocheting, skipping ropes, playing hopscotch, making pat-a-cakes from sand mounds, scrambling up mango or cashew trees and a myriad of things that children did.

Now and again, a friend would acquire a new toy doll or toy car and we shared in playing with it; of course with a promise to her/him that when he got ours, we would share with them as well.

Christmas and birthdays were beautiful and magical times spent with family and friends and then came the presents, usually something that was in vogue at that point in time. It seemed every little girl owned a rubber doll with sets of combs and what have you or a Raleigh bicycle with a little basket it front.

Now that I think of it, maybe the parents used to converge for a meeting to decide on the present theme for the year.

It was really a simpler life.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

In response to NaBloPoMo November 2015 Prompts

Monday 2 November – What was the one toy that a friend had that you wished you had when you were little?

Image credit: Pinterest.

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Published by jacquelineobyikocha

A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.

50 thoughts on “Growing Gains or should I say Pains?…Personal story”

      3. Got it and replied! Thanks so much Jacqueline, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you felt as much joy reading Master as I got from writing it. I can’t tell you how vital it is that I receive positive feedback prior to its release, so I’m truly gracious that you took the time to read it. Thanks again!

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  2. Oh those were the good old times. Right, Jacq? Children play outside with kites or even climb trees. But now, children are glued in mobile devices…
    Those we’re the simpler and I think happier times. 🙂

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      1. Oh. That’s true. Technology has drastically change our lives. I am lucky that I experienced those nasty and dirty backyard games when I was little. I almost always go home wounded but it was fun!

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    2. I think that the electronic devices are a problem too, but one that is as big or bigger is the level of violence that exists. Parents don’t feel safe letting their children play outside. I know parents of young teenagers that won’t allow them to walk home from school. So sad.

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      2. I agree:( And unfortunately the worry does not stop when you’re an adult. My mother was afraid to hear of me (31 years old) going out to get my mail because a young girl was kidnapped right in front of her house when she was checking her own mail:( Things are not what they used to be:/

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      8. Aww. I can relate too. I have no child yet but I also don’t allow my youngest sister, whose now four, to play outside because cases of raped toddlers have been so rampant! It’s just sad.

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  4. I chuckled while reading about the black and white television…memories. And if it had started to malfunction, a few slap on the top or side will awaken the sleeping television. Bazooka chewing gum…hmm. Life was truly simpler then.

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  5. I often think of how different it was when I grew up and even when I raised my children. I still remember the day when I ran from my mother when she wanted to spank me. We ran around and around a table. She won. I doubt it felt funny then, but it has become a funny memory for me. And I think I felt powerful when running from her, even though I still received the punishment.

    I loved reading this post.

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  9. This is a fne post here, reading about your childhood. Fascinating! Yes it is a shame that kids are not allowed to play outside like they did when we were young. My specialty was climbing trees, and looking around the fields and pond near our house.

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  12. I really enjoyed reading this post! Times were simple when we were children. I do believe that all of this modern technology is taking a little away from children growing up now. It will be interesting to see how this fares as generations pass.

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  13. Ah! I remember Goody-Goody rubbery chocolate bite and Bazooka Joe chewing gum. 😀

    My childhood was great, much simple times. People were more trusting, more trustworthy and more giving. I recall playing with the neighbourhood kids every afternoon after school.

    Kids are more sheltered these days because perverts lurk the street corners.

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