Nostalgia

I’ve been thinking about the past a lot lately.

The things that once entertained me, stretched me and created me into who i am today. As i think to different eras of my life each one brings back different memories. Time passes too quickly in my opinion and we grow up way too fast.  I remember back when i was just a young fellow in elementary school. I remember having two recesses each day of school and playing until i was drenched in sweat. It was what life was about… Having fun! Playing tether ball, soccer, playing basketball, football, fighting and chasing the cute girls until we caught them only to find out they weren’t so nice.

As i think back in nostalgia i remember a day that certainly left an impression on me.

It was just like every other day I was only 9 or 10 years old on the bus ride home from school. I still remember the sound of all the screaming kids and the distinctive roar of the old bus.  I was sitting in my seat minding my own business as always just waiting for my stop. As i waited there i looked across the aisle to see an older kid about 15 or 16.  As i glanced over at him we made a strange eye contact that i still remember to this day. He started blabbering to me and i remember ignoring him as i pretended to listen. The whole time i was thinking who is this weird kid? He looked greasy, he was older than me by a few years and he kept talking for no reason. What interest did he have in me i was wondering? I soon found out when he presumed to ask me if i had ever smoked the reefer. *Note*(For those of you who never got asked this question reefer is marijuana.) I thought to myself, what the heck is reefer? So, i asked him just that and his reply was one I’ll never forget. He said, “do you like broccoli?” and i replied, “Uh, no.” With a slight laugh. He went on to tell how smoking the jolly green stuff would make me like broccoli and that would impress my parents if i ate more vegetables.  Although this was something i was slightly interested in, impressing my parents. I wasn’t so sure i was willing to smoke anything this greasy kid was offering me. I was stunned, i had no idea what to say, i was a youngster, so i didn’t say anything back. I was only 10 at this time how was i supposed to know what reefer was or have any interest in eating more vegetables.

My stop finally came and i got off the bus as quick as i could.

On a side note, who asks a 10-year-old to smoke weed on the bus anyway?  As i finally made it home i told everyone this blasphemous story, i told all my friends and even my parents. My parents of course asked me if i smoked anything, and with a typical response i just smiled for a minute and said, no. The irony of this story is that it wasn’t until later i found out that this kid had no idea what he was talking about. Vegetables and the munchies are two totally different concepts.

This story is funny because…

Over the years we all come to the understanding of life differently, we create our own unique concepts and understanding of life differently. We are all unique byproducts of life; each with unique stories.