By – Jennifer Ifeoma Ugboh
Something funny happened to me recently, I was in over my head thinking about all the responsibilities that I was saddled with simply because I’m considered an adult now (even though in reality I am just a semi-adult) *tears* I couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane, and I was hit with so much nostalgia remembering the times when things were so much easier and life was simpler. It’s funny how we spend our childhood wishing that we’d grow up as soon as possible and then spend the rest of our lives wishing we could go back. The truth is our childhood is the sweetest and most innocent time of our life; it also holds some of our fondest memories. These memories are difficult to forget. So this post is dedicated to some of my fondest childhood memories. I will be sharing some very special things that made my childhood lit!! My fellow 90’s babies, where ya’ll I’m sure you can definitely relate.
School was a dream, I remember going to school wearing my clean and neatly pressed uniform, white socks and brightly shined shoes and playing around like say tomorrow no dey without having to worry
about who did the laundry or cleaned them shoes. Now all I worry what to wear every morning and when to do the laundry. *sigh*
Morning classes was a routine which consisted of reciting the multiplication table, state and capital and all the other stuff that were on the back cover of our exercise books at that
the top of our voices, while taking a peek every once in a while when the teacher wasn’t looking. Lunch was always neatly packed with biscuits and sweets for the snack recess. Our go-to biscuits then were Okin biscuit, Fishly, Digestive, speedy (i was absolutely in love with this one). Coconut, that one that came in animal shapes and that other one that was in numbers. Sweets comprised of robo with the different colors, goody goody chocolate bar, and that one that had chocolate and vanilla together in a transparent-like plate, it came with a tiny spoon. (Where are these things today anyways I miss them). Bubble gums that had questions inside the wrapper, those that had stickers which we usually pasted on our bodies like tattoos. For soft drinks we had gold spot, limca, crush, crest etc fast forward to a decade or so later and now I have to brainstorm and consider the size of my pocket before I can get a decent lunch.
I also remember normal activities like reading from our “Reader” solving mathematical problems from ”Understanding Mathematics” Quantitative reasoning and Verbal aptitude assignments which usually took ages to complete. Feeling like a star if you were elected the Class captain of your class as you get to do the honors of writing the “names of noise makers” and banging the table to sign
al the arrival of a visitor to your class. I also remember preparing for common entrance exams, and devouring the almighty “Ugo.C. Ugo” cover to cover. Playing catcher, suwe, jump rope, hide and seek, who is in the garden, ten-ten, Tic tac toe (X and O) and buying tasty time on my way back home.
I exercised every Thursday night because we usually sprint home from church after bible study just to catch super story. The award winning soap-opera of our time. There was always something to learn from each episode. Other TV shows includes Binta my daughter, Papa Ajasco, Buffy the vampire slayer, Bill Cosby’s Kids say the dandiest things, tales by moonlight et al.
Saturday mornings were fantastic especially when Silverbird Television newly launched; they had a line-up of awesome cartoons like Justice league, cow and chicken, Pinky and the Brain, I am Weasel, Johnny Bravo etc. there were also those on Cartoon Network Sponge bob square pants, power puff girls, samurai jack and the rest of them. Not forgetting Super book AIT’s Sunday special. And the ones on DVDs like my all time favorite Lion King, finding Nemo, Tom and Jerry, Disney’s classics like Cinderella, Beauty and the beast, little mermaid, sleeping beauty and movies like Mr. Bean, Baby’s Day Out, Home Alone, Dr Doolittle were the rave of the moment. Not forgetting Nollywood’s Karachika Nneka the pretty serpent, living in bondage things fall apart etc.
I’m so thankful I had a childhood before social media. I guess you ca
n say being a 90’s kid was all that. Yea we never had smart phones (it was just the land line for the entire family) or social media or instant messaging but we w
ere just fine with our letters delivered in blue airmail envelopes. We had Video tapes, beautiful one-hit wonder
songs like: shaggy it wasn’t me, Return of the Mac Mark Morrisson, RKelly I believe I can fly. We also had great songs from the likes of westlife, Lagbaja, Plantashun boiz and load more.
I can’t envy these kids who will never know what it is like to have genuine fun with other children wit
hout involving technology. Of course we had games back then gameboys, play station, walkmans, palito radio, Kito sandals singing canvas etc. But we still had real fun added with good music and educational TV shows used to feed our young minds key lessons in life. The ’90’s had a nice blend of technology and physical relationship too.
Every now and then when life is trying to shake you up, take a cue from me and remember the good old days. (That makes me sound so old)!! Feel free to share your fondest memories.
The post Childhood vs Adulthood; My Fondest Childhood Memories appeared first on myefiko.