Childhood Reminiscence
- navakallc
- Aug 25, 2024
- 3 min read
One thing I love the most about India is the community, (and the food of course). Ever since I was 3 years old, I remember going downstairs at exactly 6pm to play with my friends. It was like a ritual we followed every day. I would drag my parents to the playground, where they would sit and talk with my friends’ parents. My friends and I would fight for the swings, play games on the slides, and pretend we were superheroes saving the world from peril.
There were three parks in my neighborhood, duck garden, banana garden and strawberry garden. The playground I loved the most was strawberry garden. Why the people of my neighborhood thought it was a good idea to name a playground after a bright red fruit, I have no idea. It’s where I first learned how to swing myself on the swings, got my first scar after I hurt myself, and made the closest friends I have. The feeling I had of being able to pump my legs and make myself rise higher and higher was one that I’ll never forget. It’s a really special part of my childhood. I got to know my best friend there.
Over time, our friend group got bigger, our moms let us play alone, and we gradually started playing outside the playground, in the other parts of our neighborhood. We would make up games, like Zombie Run, which is like freeze tag. I liked to think that our friend group, comprised of 6 people, to be the known group in our neighborhood. This is because at that time all the uncles and aunties knew us and said hi during evening walks or when the older kids and us would play the same games.
Every time we used to find ourselves downstairs, the aunties used to walk around, take their toddlers to classes and to play. So, from a young age, we learned how to make small talks, which is essential when you are trying to make a good impression and is a great skill to have. As it had now become a habit, 6pm started finding itself in our calendar, where we would take out time to go downstairs no matter what.
One night, when we were 10, we were feeling a lot like adults. So, we came downstairs to play as usual and stayed downstairs till like 9pm as it was a Friday night. After having a hurried dinner, we came downstairs again and played badminton till 11:30pm. It was one of the best times of my life.
Being in this sort of community made me extroverted. It’s how I earned my first friends when I came to the United States. Moving to a new place is difficult sometimes and being able to make friends helped me ease into the whole experience. Another skill I learned was learning to lose, and making the best out of it. In India, there were several people who were faster than me in running, or just better in soccer skill wise. Though instead of envying them, I took inspiration and hence was able to explore more sports like rock-climbing or biking at the velodrome in USA.
In the summer, we would go to dance classes as a group and would explore new things like collecting bottle caps or taking apart a toy car. It was so much better than sitting in front of a tv all day and doing nothing. It helped me find pastimes and I got to know what I like to do. Playing downstairs as a child was not only fun and games, but there were experiences and memories etched into every fiber of my being. Those things are something I’ll never forget. I believe childhood experiences are the foundation of our life, and I’m glad I got a good one.