As part of my journey to revisit the richness of my childhood, this place, which you may refer to as "baduy" is actually on top of my list as one of the most memorable places I've been to when I was a child. I always believe that when you want to go back to the places you've once visited when you were a kid, or just think of good and bad things that you've done in the past, that means your childhood is somewhat not traumatic. Because for me if you don't even want to think of your past, then there must be a problem. what you have been when you were a child actually translates to who you are right now. your childhood the way you lived with it defined you as who you are today.
Denying your past means denying your own identity.
I've never visited such place like this with any of my family members, my mom, when I was a kid was working as Domestic Helper in Hongkong until I reached college, my dad works as a foreman during weekdays and sometimes accept part time job as plumber during weekends, my sisters are doing the household chores and my elder brother was with his playmates as well. So i only get to visit this kind of places during field trips in grade school and high school.
I understand that I can't be with them as my parents are working so hard to earn a living so they can send us to reputable universities and to make this life an easy one for all of us, and i also understand that my sisters and brother can't accompany me because of other priorities that they have to attend to....I never missed any field trips because of my parent's hardship and unconditional love, they never let me miss a single journey of my childhood....
Chinese Garden Lagoon |
We're somewhat fucked up that we ca no longer remember the last time we wrote on a piece of paper like we used to do in school to see if our penmanship has changed as we got used to type, tap, snap, click and hit the buttons of technology....
Confucius |
I remember sitting on this very stone when I was in Grade 4 while watching the reenactment of how Dr. Rizal was executed by firing squad.
If I will be given a chance to go back to my childhood, i would not dare change any single step that i took that defined me as who I am of today.