I Wished I Was a Mermaid

I have been meaning to join the challenges that were posted a few days or perhaps a week ago, but there have been unforeseen circumstances that led me to not be able to write articles. My July earnings are not that good as well as I was inactive and I have not been able to read the articles from my friends on this platform.

But I am trying to get back on my writing habits now. I hope that soon when everything is fine and we are back in Bohol, I would be able to bounce back and write again. I still have a lot of backlogs and I wished I could share with you our adventures here in Oslob soon. Don't worry, I will do that sooner or later.

Today, I am glad that finally, I could join the Getting to Know You More Challenge: When I Was A Kid hosted by none other than the inspirational, @bmjc98 .

This challenge indeed challenged my memory but I enjoyed recalling my childhood, I laughed at the things that I remember and I can't wait to get them into writing.

Here goes my entry:

When I was a kid, I wished I was a mermaid

My grandparents live nearby the shore, my grandfather was a fisherman and so every single day, my siblings and I would wait for grandfather to go home and help him with his catch.

You might think that was so nice of us but actually, there's an agenda behind it. When we get to the shore and act as if we are helping our grandpa, we would slowly drift towards the sea and then start swimming!

We would be swimming from morning until noontime nonstop. It was also during that time when I wished I was a mermaid, I thought if I was a mermaid, I could swim to the deepest part of the sea, get all the fishes that I meet and give it to my grandpa and he doesn't need to sail out every day to fish.

It was also during these times when our mother would be coming to the shore with a belt in hand ready to spank us because won't listen to her. She wanted us out of the water because we didn't eat breakfast and lunch yet, it came to a point where my mother would also swim towards us just so she could catch us and spank. It was an action-filled scene that happens almost every day, especially during summer.

When I was a kid, I hated Wednesdays

At home, my parents had made this house chore schedule. I get to wash the dishes every Monday, our youngest on Tuesdays, our kuya during Wednesdays, and our eldest on Thursdays. This should be followed else our mother will spank us again and she has one word, if she says she will spank us, she will spank every one of us even if it wasn't our fault. It's a "damay-damay" mindset.

So, Mondays and Tuesdays, our house is quiet because our youngest and I would always do our assigned chores. But then Wednesdays, when Kuya's turn of washing the dishes comes. He was a very lazy one, he would end up eating fast, he can eat his dinner in just two minutes and he'd be out of the table after that.

Later on, we figured out he was already sound asleep and it's his schedule to wash the dishes. Mother would end up saying someone must wash the dishes, if not, you'll get spanked. As someone who doesn't want to be spanked, I end up washing them but I'd be crying the entire time because of course, it's not my schedule!

When I was a kid, I have never been late for school

Call me a good pupil or student because I'd always be the earliest if not one of the earliest to arrive in school. I never experienced getting late, I would always be up from bed by around five in the morning.

My mother taught me to cook rice so whenever I get up, I'd immediately cook rice and then go to take a bath. By six, I'd be waking up my brothers so they can get ready too, and then I'd be eating breakfast by then.

Our father would send us to school riding on our old motorcycle. Papa worked in DPWH too so he would just give us a ride which means, I am already in school before 6:45 AM.

When I was a kid, I hated Wearing Gowns

I still do until today, I don't like the feeling of wearing those dresses and make-up. I never loved wearing heels as well. I am a shirt and jeans type of girl. Although, when I was in college, I started to wear lipstick and shoulder bags to make me a lady when I started working, I was all about shirts and pants or shorts.

So I had this picture of myself and my little brother in a certain Princess event and boy, my face was long, I could hear the picture scream "why am I in this yellow gown?".

When I was a kid, I Love Photography

Ever since I was young, I already have had a love for photography. It was back in grade five when I was gifted with a point-and-shoot camera. I can't remember who gave it to me, I guess it was my father? Or someone close to me. That was a film and I only have a maximum of 36 shots which made every single photo memorable. I don't want to waste the shots so every single one was well thought of and intentional but of course, those images were not the best, most of them were blurry for subjects are not conscious of the shutter speed and them moving all around while I was taking photos.

But that was the start of my love for taking photographs. It evolved from just point and shoot with film to digital unlimited clicks until today when I am already using mirrorless cameras and little expensive art lenses.

When I was a kid, I love spending my afternoons at the beach shore

Every after school, my neighbors and all the kids in our area would be in the beach shore because that's our playground. Regardless if its high tide or low tide, everyone has a game to play with. May it be tumbang preso, bato lata, shatong, chinese garter, jolen, jackstones, cards, rubberbands, patintero, and a lot more.

And then after playing, we would all be sweaty so we would go straight to the water to swim. Even in the waters, we would still be playing

Overall

I had fun remember those childhood memories. During those times, we had no gadgets yet those were the happiest. If asked, I'd still prefer the same childhood that I had.

xoxo,

mommy jean of momentswithmatti

Love harder than any pain you've ever felt.