Yesterday I purchased Herbal Essences new body wash. Yes, I know, it doesn't have healthy ingredients. Typically I only buy good soaps and body washes, but I could not help myself. The smell of Herbal Essences brings back such wonderful memories. Do you remember when their shampoo and conditioner bottles looked like this?
When I started making my own money, I would buy Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner. The smell was amazing and it was also what a lot of the girls were using. Anyway, I purchased the body wash and used it today. Wow, all of a sudden my mind began flooding with memories of being a kid. Memories of dreaming, building forts, actually playing outside, etc. I don't have many memories of being a kid and being completely plugged into technology and checking social media to see if people have liked or commented on my latest selfie. My days consisted of finishing my schoolwork (homeschooled) as fast as I could so that I could go play outside, read a book, sing on my karaoke machine, or swim in the pool all afternoon.
I remember during the '92 Winter Olympics, I would put on my roller skates and skate on our basketball court for hours pretending I was Kristi Yamaguchi. If I was lucky, I would get one of my brothers out there to help with leg lifts and jumps. Seriously, it was hilarious. Then there was the season that I was obsessed with digging up rocks and breaking them open with a hammer to see if I could find quartz. There was also a season when I would lock myself in my room singing for hours on the karaoke machine that my dad won. I would record myself singing a song over and over and have myself singing back up to myself. To this day I know so many Elvis Presley songs by heart.
Creativity was at the center of my world as a kid. I didn't have social media and thousands of internet sites to gather information from, it was just my imagination. Don't get me wrong, the amount of resources we have now is incredible. When my mind goes blank, I immediately have a place to go for ideas. It's wonderful. But, it was different back then. I didn't have a cell phone to keep me occupied for hours. After watching tv for an hour, my mom would turn it off and tell my brothers and I to go outside and play. I'm thankful that I have the memories of being outside all day and being so bummed that we had to stop what we were doing to go inside for dinner. Times are different now, for kids growing up today, and for me. I don't go outside like I used to. I don't dream for hours without a computer or cell phone nearby. I don't roller skate in the backyard looking like a dork. Why not? Because of technology. It's a blessing and a curse. There is no going back. It is a part of EVERYTHING we do, and it is vital for our businesses and every day living. But, how can we learn to pause and take breaks and not feel like we are missing out on something? Is it setting our smart phones down for an hour a day? Is it taking more walks outside? Checking our social media less? This is something that I truly wanted to learn so that I can live a balanced life. I know the answer to this question will be different for each person. For me, I believe it's not about going back in time, but continually moving forward and learning to live life both unplugged and plugged in.
Here is a list of other things that I used to do as a kid with my brothers and friends.
- We built forts, both inside and outside. My dream was to have the perfect tree in our backyard for a tree house.
- We played grocery store with all of the items in our pantry.
- I was in clubs with my friends. We would give everyone role's and also implemented dues into the club.
- Board Games! Do kids play board games anymore?
- We played capture the flag with our cousins. It was the best!
- Once we moved to NC, our backyard became the sports field for the neighborhood……kickball, soccer, etc.
- Ping Pong
- Hide and Go Seek in the dark! (Can we get a huge group together and do this again soon?)
……and truly the list goes on.
What are things that you used to do as a kid? What sort of things do you try to do to keep yourself balanced in a world where we are always plugged in? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this subject.
