Memories of Childhood

The memories of childhood have their own kind of nostalgia. With the passage of time, one feels more attached to this childhood, the best period of a man’s life. A child has no worries, anxieties, and no work. He is free from the dirty and filthy noises of the world. His motto of life remains: eat, drink and be merry. The charm of childhood cannot be forgotten. These memories have an everlasting impression on one’s life.

When I recollect the days of my childhood, I feel very delighted over that pleasant period which I spent in high spirits. In my childhood I was carefree, having no worries at all. I used to wander like a deer in the open field and enjoyed the natural beauty in the gardens along with my other companions.

Certain incidents are still fresh in my mind:- For instance, at the age of five, I got a severe attack of typhoid. In those days medical science was not so advanced, so in the absence of a proper diagnosis, I was reduced to a skeleton. After taking medicine for a long period, I was cured. The doctor advised me to go to some hill-station. So my father took me to the Cameron Highlands. Due to this attack at my early age, I became very weak and I still have not been able to recover my health.

The other incident was about a juggler who came with two monkeys. He exhibited a show with the monkeys. The male monkey fell in love with the female monkey. The female refused to marry the male. The male went to his father-in-law’s house — the father-in-law was the juggler himself. After some persuasion, the female agreed to many the male monkey. They were dressed up in a colorful costume for the ceremony which was performed by the juggler. The juggler and his show with the monkeys stand out in my memory.

Another thing which I still remember is my swimming accident. It was on a Sunday that I went with my friends for a picnic at Port Dickson. Some of us were expert swimmers but unfortunately, I did not know much about swimming. My friends plunged into the sea in order to swim and persuaded me to do the same. Soon I was caught by the swift current in the water and was carried away. My scream of panic was heard by my friends who rescued me from drowning. I was really very grateful to them for saving my life.

It is this period of childhood that has been described by poets and writers. To recollect the past is to plunge ourselves into a state of nostalgia. Wordsworth, the immortal poet of England, and a great worshipper of nature describe in his poems his childhood period, which, to him, was full of pleasant memories. I too miss those good old days which had flown by so quickly.