While sitting inside the house, I was thinking about what topic should I write today. And I remember what if the childhood memories that are unforgettable for me.
When I was only 6 years old, we live in a place where there was no electricity, we used only a lamp or we called it "lampara", it's a bottle of alamang", with kerosene inside with a cloth.While our neighbor are using " petromax"that was bigger than lampara.
Childrens before, mostly we're focused on their studies, we wake too early at 4' o clock in the morning to prepare for school, and we participate with the school activities like Jamboree and other physical activities. My father will gave me 3 pesos after he sold a firewood everyday in the market.I buy a snack in school, like ice candy and candies beside the school.I'm happy when my papa gave me 5 pesos a day but that was very rare.
In the evening when I used to answer my assignment in front of the "lampara", and sometimes when I get closer to it the smoke gets inside my nose and my eyebrows were burned. We used to sleep early since there was no Tv during those times. But when the moon was so bright we used to play " Bulan-Bulan", we make a big circle like the moon and the "Taya" is inside the moon and the rest of us standing in the circles and if you are being touched you will be the next "Taya" inside the moon.
When we go to sleep my mother taught us Bible verses, like Proverbs. And also she teaches us about English words like a butterfly, dog, chicken, goat, frog, basic English for animals.
Every day we always play outdoor games, swim in the river, ride a horse, carabao and go to the mountain to get firewood. And we used to climb trees, like mango, guava, and we laughed together. We had so much fun during those times, we take a bath in the river and washed our clothes. But the weirdest thing in the river are the "leeches", or (alimatok in Bisaya). I was afraid of it because there's a time when it was stuck in my feet and I shout so loud and we're running around because everyone was afraid and I pull it and get some stone and crushed it until it was blooded.
And then we used to bring food in the river, corn grits with " tuyo or dried fish", which is put in a banana leaves which smells so good,we ate with bare hands together.
And when there was a time during the night we used to watch Tv in the neighborhood who has a generator, and sometimes we also watched a "betamax", every 4'o clock we saw outside their house a small piece of blackboard written there " Now showing Titanic", which they used a " VHS" player, and we paid 3 pesos for children, 6 pesos for adults, we watched together in a screen with white cloth and for me that was too memorable.
My embarrassing moment of watching Tv in our neighborhood, when I saw a commercial for soap specifically safeguard soap, do you remember that there was a commercial before I think way back in 1998 when I was 7 years old and the television was a black and white only, the scene was the child eat food when it falls on the floor and she picks it up and put into her mouth, "I shout so loud,aaaaaaah! And the people around were staring at me, the feeling of being melted like a candle that you wish to be invisible so that they won't see me anymore.
There was a time when I used to back ride with my brother on a bike and because he runs so fast I jumped from the bike and I end up with bruises on my knees, until now I didn't know how to bike because Im still afraid to get hurt.We also fly kite even if it's not summer, we made our own kite by using a cellophane from the grocery story and put a thread to make it fly high, we whistle to call the wind that's what our parents taught us.
But the sweet memories I have with my siblings when we go back home at night they carry me on his back especially when it rains and we run together going home.
Being a child I am always been told by my mother to buy something in the grocery store like shampoo, soap, and many more. My unforgettable moment of buying an item when I used to buy in a store that has a " No return, No exchange Policy".One time my mother told me to buy coconut oil, but I bought soy sauce. When I got home I gave it to mama and she was angry because its what she told me, and I return to the store bringing the coconut oil in cellophane, but the owner got angry with me and she shouts in my face"did you know that we have a policy here, no return, no exchange", I almost cry but, I looked at her in the eyes so that I will not forget her face and until now.
My childhood life was the very simple and typical life of a kid, living in a simple house, which is a "Nipa house". My father was a farmer and my mother is a housekeeper and sometimes she accepts laundry from our neighbors. But those memories will be cherished forever and will always be. During my childhood, I never experience eating on a fast-food chain, but those times of adventure were so amazing , the bonding moments with my friends will remain forever.
One more thing, there is only one thing that I don't really like in my childhood days when my mother told me to light up her cigarette, that was the most unpleasant for a 6 years old child which I don't want to happen with my children because when used to do it I inhaled the smoke from the cigarette and I think it was not a good example.
Those memories are a part of my life and it makes.me.of who I am today, I've never grown up in a prestigious life of luxurious living but in simplicity, living in a farm with corn on the side and some fruits and vegetables. And it was a healthy lifestyle day when we do not eat junk foods every day, but we only eat natural products from my father's farm.We have horse, goats, carabao and chickens that is how we live before.
We help in our household chores without being yelled at by my mother, I wish that those days will be back this time but it will not happen again, this world was changing and it will constantly change. Pollution everywhere and high technology were invading children's minds today. They used to sit all day in front of the screen, and they don't get thirsty from running through the neighborhood. The children haven't enjoyed their freedom of exploring simple things but with pleasure.
Those days are so true and pure if there were a time for replay I think those scenes of my life that I want to share with my children.
When I meet my childhood friends even when we did not talk we laughed together when we remember how we live before.But most of all I am thankful with our parents who loved us so much and teaches us to be strong and how to deal life even when there are hard times we still stand and keep going.
Everything happens for a reason that what they say, and it was true to me.According to the book of Proverbs,it's better for child to experience hardship while they are young so that they will become mature with their living and when they get old they know what to do.
What do I learned in my childhood life?
I learned to utilize things and to survive in life during crisis.
How do I describe my childhood?
It's like a lamp, simple but useful.
Life is composed of good and bad memories but no matter what I still enjoy being alive and have life and love to share with the people around me.
I'm so grateful your reading this write up.
Thanks for having you here.
God bless you.
Nice