Reverb11 Day 2 – My children will do it differently

My Children Will Do it Differently - If you could choose one thing that your children will do or experience in a different way than you have, what would it be and why?

I grew up in a time where it was save to spend the day riding your bike around the neighbourhood with all your friends, we played games in the fields where we made up imaginary castles and dragons, where we were princesses and our bikes were beautiful, white horses.  We played in the rain, and made mud-cakes.  We made each other mix tapes, usually taped straight from the radio.  We had fun.  We were kids and stayed that way a hell of a lot longer than kids do nowadays.

I miss that.

Almost nobody had computers and there was no such thing as cellphones.  We didn’t worry about fashion, or having the latest gadgets; in stead we had picnics in the garden or the park, we used to lie on the grass and look at the clouds, played cards and board games.  We baked cookies.  We used to go to the library.  The days were endless.

I do not want kids, but I guess if I did want to I would let my kids participate in more things than I did;  From ballet to hip-hop, playing music, debate team, choir, sports, everything.  They should experience everything and decide for themselves what they enjoy and what they don’t like.  I wouldn’t want them to look back when they are older, wishing they had the opportunity to experience something

Scary nights

It’s always strange sleeping in a new place and it takes a while to get used to the sounds of a new house, but I have never been as scared living alone as I was on the 2nd night in my new place.  I guess I was so tired on the first night that it didn’t bother me.  That and the fact that my noisy neighbours had a party until the rainstorm put an end to it and then also drowned out all strange noises I might’ve heard.

The 2nd night there was no party and no rain and I swear I heard a noise that sounded like somebody trying to force open a window.  I was instantly awake and naturally focused on every single noise I heard.  It also didn’t help that I didn’t have any curtains up in the rest of the house.  After googling the nearest police station, and putting the number on speed dial on my phone, I finally managed to get up, turn on the lights and look around only to find that there are no forced windows and nothing untoward that I could see.  But the damage was done, I was freaked out as hell and I spent the rest of the night clutching a chef’s knife and every time I dozed off, another noise would wake me.

So the first thing I did yesterday when I got home was stick up some curtains.  I couldn’t hang them properly as I have the curtains with the hooks, and the lounge / dining room have those wooden rods for the loop curtains, but at least I have the windows covered until the weekend when I can go buy some curtain rails and have them put up.

I’m still sleeping with the chef’s knife next to my bed, but think I will replace it with some pepper spray and a taser.  A girl has to be prepared you know and I do live in SA after all.