THINGS I MISS ABOUT THE PAST
Published Jun 26, 2017
Updated Jun 09, 2024
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Yesterday, I remembered a particular song we literally murdered as kids when we sang it back in the day.
Waaaaanderfool Chiso
Saviour
Wanderfool miracool Chiso
Let us walk wit i
Now it may interest you to know that this is what we were actually singing:
Wonderful Jesus
Saviour
Wonderful miracle Jesus
Let us walk with Him
Who cared what the real pronunciation of the words in the song was then? No one. All we cared about was singing our hearts out and wowing our audience.
This was many years ago, when I was a member of “YP” (Young Presbyterians), a group for mostly elementary-aged students in the Presbyterian church in Cameroon. My younger brother was a conductor in that group. This means he was supposed to use his hands to direct how we sing. What he did was totally different as he instead rolled his hands like someone signing the song “running over”. After each ‘hand roll’, he opened his palms wide as though he was trying to sign shine. This he did over and over again while we sang and murdered the lyrics of our song. It was fun.
Now many years later, I’m reminiscing and missing my YP days plus many other things from the past.
Things like inviting a few kids for a birthday party and then having your house full to beyond capacity for the party when you in fact only invited a handful of kids. Because you know, the word-of-mouth mode of spreading information works like magic in Africa. And people often invite themselves to party. I was surprised to find so many well-dressed-and-ready kids at my first daughter’s second birthday party. I had no idea who they were or who their parents where. But they heard we were having a party and they came.
I miss things like shopping at the market and dipping my feet into mud not because I want to but because it rained and it is so muddy. It is not the mushiness that I miss but that constant natural touch with nature.
I miss things like waking up on Easter morning to go ‘look for the risen Jesus’. And singing songs like “the women went to the tomb but they couldn’t find Chiso.”
I miss genuine smiles, being served food over and over by neighbours and “good mornings” that fly by every morning from one door step to another.
I miss seeing women with babies latched onto their backs, going about their business, day-in day-out.
I miss my home and all the goodies that make me love that place.
What do you miss about the past?
LOOL beautiful post down memory lane.
I missed the innocence and simplicity of life that was childhood.
Sitting with friends and playing games like ‘seven stones’, ‘sizo’, ‘dogding’ or ‘tabala’ or just taking turns telling funny stories or murdering songs and laughing our hearts out. Memories that keep me going when adulthood becomes too complicated.
Oh my! I miss all of that, sis. We played and burned calories without even trying.
Life was so simple back then.
Lol. Interesting post.
I’d prefer to deceive myself right now (at this point in my life) and say I DO NOT MISS MY PAST because I squeezed out every fun and explored each moment to the fullest.
Hi Prechy. Miss you.
Then that’s good Amaka! I had fun then but I miss how natural life was back then. Our lives are getting more complicated. Lol
I’ve missed you too sweetie. Hope you are good.
I miss the fun rides on my Dad’s shoulders . Whenever my Dad came back from work in the evening and had eaten, my siblings and I would jump on his back demanding to be carried on his shoulders. He’d pick us up one by one and carry us all round the house . Sometimes he’d pretend to throw us in the freezer or pretend that he was going outside to sell us. We’d clutch his neck tighter, screaming and giggling at the same time. I miss running around shirtless, sometimes wearing only underwear. My mum used to call me naked woman. Puberty put an end to that soon enough.
Awww seems like you had a lot of fun growing up, Ada!
Hahahaha at naked woman. Childhood innocence is so real.
Thank God for awesome dads like yours.
Awww. Okay, what I don’t miss is stepping in mud to go to market. Matter of fact, I dreaded going to the Market on days it rained. I miss everything about my childhood, from the timeless songs that blasted through my dad’s Kenwood speakers, to awaiting our Christmas shopping (It’s like I lived for Christmas). There was no way I wasn’t going to buy a dress that twirled so high and the longest pair of socks I could find.lol
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Lol at Kenwood speakers! Christmas was life mehn.