I was going through photos the other day looking for old Halloween costumes of my youth when I stumbled across this picture. I cracked up laughing.
If ever oh ever there was a picture capturing my essence (or the one I imagine of myself), this one is it. God, I loved that slide whistle!
But beyond me marching down the trail to what I’m sure was the sound of my own off-beat tune, that’s what I see: me marching merrily and obliviously back to my dad’s truck and whatever our next adventure was going to be.
That’s how I spent my childhood. I think that’s how I survived my childhood. Just me in my own oblivious world. Just give me something to focus on, and I was one happy camper. (Which is what I’m sure we were doing in this picture. Coming from or going to a camp ground.)
In this picture it’s a slide whistle, but a book or some paper and crayons or my beloved Barbies were my other ”keep me happy by focusing on something else” tools. It didn’t take much to distract or amuse me.
But, man, this picture of me and my slide whistle really brought back some memories…and also reminded me of the girl I once used to be. Where did she go? Is she still there hidden in the depths of this grown-up version?
Hell yeah. I just forget to let her march along Life’s path to her own off-beat tune with oblivious abandon like I used to. Gotta change that.
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Tags: Nostalgia, photos, Youth