Childhood Memories and Adult Realities

Some of the best travel advice I have ever read was written on an Anderson Cooper blog, and I am just paraphrasing here: “Everyone is proud of where they come from; everyone is nostalgic about their homes”. Here I am finding that true in many cases, many people say they prefer village life to life in town. When I first hear this, my internal reaction is “Are you crazy?”, but I feel the same way about anyone wanting to live in the suburbs. But then I got to thinking, how much of what we want in life is shaped by our childhoods?

When people ask me where I am from I feel torn. I lived in downtown Toronto till I was ten and then in Ottawa, so where am I from? I like to think both Ottawa and Toronto. So much of me was shaped by my childhood in Cabbagetown, and exploring the city so young. The neighbourhood was filled with interesting people from all walks of life. I was exposed to so much so young, in the nest possible way, when we are young we are oblivious to the cultural prejudices and we are friends with whoever we like as a person. When you’re young you don’t know how much money someone has, or that it isn’t cool that your friend shares a room with her mom and two sisters in the projects. None of that matters, and I think that being exposed to that at a young age (along with having amazing parents not placing prejudice in my small little brain) has really made me more open as an adult to different types of people and the challenges that face everyone.

As I get older I realise more and more of what was really going on in my childhood, and how I didn’t care about any of it, all I wanted to do was to play with my friends. There are limits to this way of upbringing and my parents began to realize that despite their efforts the challenges faced on an inner city school can sometimes be too great. Most of our core little group moved on to other schools, private or in a different neighbourhood and I moved to Ottawa.

winter coats and city streets, the definitions of my childhood 

As Jacob likes to describe it, “Ottawa is the definition of middle class”, it’s like living in a nice suburb without actually living in a suburb. It was a great place to spend my teenage years allowed me the opportunity to row at an amazing club (which I will always consider one of my homes), make great friends and live in a very beautiful city. 

How much of that has shaped how I want to live my adult life. If anyone ever asks me where I want to live, I always say in the city. I don’t drive (although I will learn) and I never want to be dependent on my car for groceries, booze, pharmacy, or a coffee shop. I love to walk places; it’s my preferred way to get around. There was no therapy better than taking a sunny fall stroll down Beacon Street to Coolidge Corner, or walking down Newbury with a big coffee (ok Venti Americano, or Large Iced Dunks for the warmer days) in my hand just to people watch.

Do I need the city life because of my life spent on the subway and throwing pennies into the fountain at the Eaton Center? Or is it just me, who I am that makes me want that? Of course it’s a bit of both.  That brings me back to the Belizeans, who want a simple life in the village, living under a thatch roof, their children playing in a safe place. There may be electricity there may not, there may be running water there may not, there may be a toilet there may not, but it doesn’t matter. It’s how they spent their childhood and they must have had a fantastic childhood, and that’s what matters.  Although it may be to foreign to me to really comprehend the appeal I am sure they would think my way of life was too crazy and loud.

What are your favourite childhood memories and how do those shape your adult decisions? Do you want to live in a place like where you grew up, or the total opposite?

Happy Children in Graham Creek

As long as we are safe, healthy and surrounded by loving people the rest is just gravy.

Happy Memories and Bright Futures

Mariel