Ever wish you were six again? That you could go back to the days when your mommy would pack you a lunch and the definition of drama was if someone stole your favourite crayon?
BEYERS DE VOS AND MEAGAN DILL
Ever wish you were six again? That you could go back to the days when your mommy would pack you a lunch and the definition of drama was if someone stole your favourite crayon? Back to the days of superman capes and tree climbing? To a time when monsters were things that hid under the bed and a night light was all you needed to feel better?
Perdeby went in search of your favourite childhood memories, and spoke to a few students who gave us a glimpse into those things from back in the day that bring a tear of nostalgia to the eye. We count them down:
Firstly, there’s the food.
“Rascals,” Janique Poole, a second year BSc student, immediately says, “how could they have stopped making Rascals?”
Nadia Romanos, a first year BA Journalism student, remembers the days of ordering from kiddies’ menus, and getting a free toy to boot.
And her friend Luzaan Roux, a fi rst year BA English Studies student, adds, “I remember a time when I didn’t know what the word ‘calories’ meant [and] would eat anything without thinking about it.”
Gobstoppers, Dirkies (those long, sugary tubes of condensed milk), lucky packets and ice cream from Milky Lane with the little chocolate bears all make the list.
Then, for some people, it is the toys.
“Ooh, do you remember marbles? I loved playing marbles. That was awesome,” begins Ferial Carelse, a second year BA Journalism student, with a dreamy look. “And hand tennis. Gosh, that rocked.”
Sandpits were a big hit, as were yo-yos. And so were the television programmes of the 90s. Remember the days of early morning cartoons, when waking up meant Bananas in Pyjamas? Or Liewe Heksie and Brakkenjan? How about Power Rangers? Go on, admit it. Every kid loved the Power Rangers.
Other people simply remember the experiences of being a child: jumping on the bed, dressing up, playing catch.
“[I miss the times when] your biggest worry was which toy you’re gonna play with, when jumping on the bed did not result in a broken bed, [and] having the energy of a Duracell bunny 24/7,” says Reinhart Toerien, first year BA English Studies student.
Others miss the innocence of being a child. Laetitia Marias, a fi rst year BIS Publishing student, says “I miss the days when I could walk in Sunnyside with my mother without fear of getting attacked.”
There are many things to be said about childhood, but one thing we can all agree on is that it was a simpler time. A time before textbooks and responsibility, when the world was still slightly mysterious, and worrying was something only ‘grown ups’ did. Those days are over now, and, like the end of most good things, it probably happened suddenly and without warning. One day you wake up, and someone packed away your lunchbox. You are a big boy now.
And while adulthood has its perks – its own sweets and games and TV shows – perhaps the lesson we can learn from our six-year-old selves is this: cherish the small things in life. After all, just as swiftly as the days of your childhood disappeared, so can the rest of your years.
