Memories

Ask any kid where they would like to grow up and they would say they would want to be exactly where they are because they do not know any different. Ask any adult where they would have liked to have grown up and you could get a myriad of responses because having seen the world and all it has to offer, we adults are always craving for something better.

As a child growing up in Ipoh, life was idyllic. Traffic was minimal, life was simple and uncomplicated. Girls went to girls’ schools and boys went to boys’ schools. Entertainment was the occasional film show at the local cinemas, Lido and Cathay. You never hung out at shopping malls because there were none to speak of. A day out with friends would be a show and maybe a visit to a coffee house nearby.
This was in the 60s and 70s when families were close knit and life revolved around school and home. On weekends, it was church services. Black and white TV sets were not found in all households till the late 60s and the dial-up telephone was found in most homes only in the early 70s.

When I look back, I wonder how we managed to pass the days and nights in those days. This is especially so when I look at the younger generation today. Our parents would never have dreamt of buying us a notebook or a handphone. These would have been considered luxuries that we could do without. We managed to survive without these luxuries. Even clothes were considered a luxury and we lived on hand-me-downs, not only from siblings but also from cousins and close friends.

How times have changed! How fortunate (or unfortunate!) the younger generation is today. I pity the parents who are forced to give their children the best, for if they do not, their children will not fit into society. If I was asked when I would have liked to be born, then or now, my answer would definitely be then, not now. Not having what I really wanted and using hand-me-downs has made me a more understanding, caring and compassionate person, I am sure!