*This is a collaborative Guestpost
Many believe our childhood experiences shape us
into who we are today.
It’s kind of funny when you think about how random
places and obscure objects can unlock a treasure trove of memories. I’ve always
found comfort in the nostalgia evoked whenever I think about my
childhood.
Unlike many others, I can confidently say that my
childhood was a happy one and I am grateful for every event that took place in
it.
My dad played a big role in helping make some of my
favourite childhood memories and inspired many of my passions today. He was an
avid fan of various things and I often ended up pulled along for a ride as he
explored his interests.
Join me on a walk down memory lane as I reminisce
about some of the moments that shaped my childhood and made me into who I am
today.
On the Field
One of my earliest memories consists of being
unwillingly dragged to The Oval by my father one bright sunny summer’s
day.
I was only about six at the time and the last way I
wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon was at a boring old sports stadium watching
a game I didn’t even slightly understand. However, my dad felt quite
differently.
I can still vividly recall the look of child-like
joy on his face as the players entered the field. He was a massive fan of the
game and he wasn’t afraid to show it, and still isn’t if I’m being completely
honest.
Sporting his favourite team member’s cricket shirt,
a plastic horn in hand, he proudly yelled out cheers with the crowd. My dad has
always been a rather enthusiastic man, but cricket lit a spark in him like I’d
never seen before.
Ever since that first game, he only continued in
his attempts to convert me into a cricket fanatic. While initially annoying, I
will say that when I actually played my first game of cricket, I was pleasantly
surprised.
For a game I had grown to detest, I was
surprisingly good at it. From arriving early enough to see the complete synthetic
cricket pitch installation from scratch to
staying until the very last over, all those years of watching from the
sidelines truly paid off.
With my dad being my loudest supporter, coming to
cheer me on at every game, just as my dad always had, I soon grew to love the
sport.
Beneath the Bonnet
If you know my dad (I’m guessing you don’t), you
would know that he’s always been a man of many passions. Alongside cricket,
when I was around fourteen, he developed an affinity for cars – BMWs to be
exact.
The fascination with BMWs got to the point that he
even ended up purchasing one for himself. Second-hand, of course. Yet, he loved
that car. Sometimes I even thought he loved it more than me.
On Friday evening, he would always take my mum and
me out for a little drive in his shiny new BMW X5. I may not always have wanted
to go on them, but I remember having a fun time nonetheless. We would drive to
the beach, the park, and even the zoo one time.
Besides driving the car, my dad loved working on
his car on the weekends and as usual roped me into it. As a fourteen-year-old
teenage girl, you can imagine I wasn’t the most thrilled to spend my Saturday
nights scrounging the internet for the right BMW parts in the UK or a specific brand of tyres he just had to
have.
Nonetheless, once I accepted that this would be the
norm for the foreseeable future, I soon developed an interest in fixing cars as
well. Thanks to all those late nights working on my dad’s BMW X5, I had more
knowledge about how to fix a leaky engine or do a quick oil change than any
fourteen-year-old ought to.
It was a sad time when we bid farewell to our dear
2005 BMW X5. However, I assure you its replacement, a sleek 2010 BMW Z4 was
just as cherished.
In the Saddle
My dad might have inspired my fascination with
cricket and cars. However, horses and horseback riding, in particular, had
always been my dream. Ever since I was a young girl, I always wanted a horse to
call my own. I think I might’ve even written to Father Christmas about it.
Yet, despite my many many years of pleading, a
horse was just too much of a financial burden for our family at the time.
Little did I know, my dream was about to be realised sooner than I could’ve
imagined.
On the night of my sixteenth birthday, my parents
came to me with a wonderful and entirely unexpected surprise – horse riding
lessons! I was absolutely ecstatic and couldn’t wait to have my first
lesson.
When I arrived at the farm, I instantly dashed to
the stables. It had been years since I had last seen or ridden a horse and I
was about ready to leap into the saddle. Luckily, my father held me back just
in time.
As soon as I entered the stables and my eyes met
Chestnut’s, a connection formed between us. I didn’t even need to look at other
horses, I was sure Chestnut was the horse for me.
After getting a handle on the theoretical basics, I
was finally allowed to ride her. Wouldn’t it be amazing if once I sat atop her
back we just instantly clicked and became a natural riding duo? Well, back down
in reality, my first ride wasn’t exactly the smoothest.
Sure, I was able to hop onto the saddle pretty
easily, but actually riding proved to be a bit more difficult. Chestnut kept
abruptly stopping and I for the life of me couldn’t keep a firm hold on the
reins. There were plenty of hiccups in those few months, but after a few riding
sessions, some grooming experiences and a bunch of destroyed cordless
horse clippers, we got used to each other’s
quirks.
A few months later, we even took part in a couple
of races. We were a team and after ten long years of riding with Chestnut, I
was finally able to make her part of my family and formally adopt her.
The Final Notes on My Childhood
Well, while my childhood hobbies may not have been
very ordinary, I enjoyed them a whole lot.
My husband and I still go out to an odd cricket
game every so often. In fact, my son, Martin, just picked up the sport a few
months ago and I can’t wait to see him play his first game.
We might not have a BMW anymore, but I still enjoy
working on my old Skoda Octavia from time to time. Moreover, with all those
nights in my dad’s garage and the skills in my toolbelt, I’m confident I won’t
ever need to call roadside assistance.
Chestnut’s been slowing down a bit, but the years
have been kind to her and I look forward to growing older alongside her. You
never really know how much you’re going to miss your childhood until the years
fly by and it’s well and truly gone. That’s why you ought to cherish it and
make memories that last a lifetime.
