Childhood 童年

The days at childhood always remained unforgetable, although you did not live a wealthy life but the experience was definitely different. You did not have the wide variety of toys today to spoil yourself; a toy gun made from unwanted wood with the seeds gathered off the trees were weapons used in the battle. Climbing on top of tree trunk while the adults were sawing for timbers was as good as a ride in the amusement park today. If you are creative, anything around you can be part of your plays.

People then tend to lead a sociable life; they gathered around for chat when free and celebrated together during festive seasons. Today, people locked the whole family in their tiny apartments while the family members kept each to his room. The relationship today seems so remote.

Remember the younger days when an occasion celebrated by one family would stir the entire village into festive mood. When a family lost someone, there was a whole village to mourn the loss while lending the support. People knew each other in a village while nobody would be surprised if today you knew less than three families around you. Houses were scattered around in the village but they knew each other. Today you live next to each other in the high-rise, separated by a thin wall and yet you may not know your neighbor. What a life this is!

Children in the village played in the wild and the parents saw it as part of growing up. Today children live a life rostered by a tight schedule made by the parents; a little scratch would cause an alarm. Flowers growing in a green house are not trained to weather the storm while the grass in the open demostrate their ultimum in survival.

A person who does not taste the reality will not mature. If you do not go through the different stages in life, how would you experience it fully to leave your mark.

很怀念童年时在乡村的日子，生活虽然不是富裕，但是别有一般滋味。没有现在儿童拥有五花八门的玩具；人家丢弃木板锯成的玩具枪，加上树上摘下的草籽就是打野战的武器。又或者爬上大人们锯着的木桐当作骑木马；反正只要有创意，什么都是玩耍的材料。

当时住在一起的人们，比起现在的人要合群的多；大家闲时聚在一起聊天，节日时一起庆祝，好不热闹。现在的人，回家后就把自己和家人隔绝在屋里；家人又各自躲在自己的房间里，人与人之间显得隔膜好多。

记得在乡村里如果那家人在办喜事，全村人都喜气洋洋，仿佛自己家里在办喜事一样。如果有谁家在办白事，全村就会笼罩着一股悲伤的气氛。乡村里的人们都彼此认识；现在高楼里的邻居，如果你不认识超过三家，也没有人会觉得奇怪。村子里的房子各散东西，但是大家都相识；高楼里大家隔着一面墙，一户挨着一户反而不熟悉，真让人百思不得其解。

乡村里的孩子到处玩耍，大人们都很放心，认为小孩要学会照顾自己。高楼里的孩子生活在父母拟定的时间表里，差破一点皮都会叫父母大惊失色。温室里的小花从小被呵护，风暴来临时不知所措。山野间的小草历经日晒雨淋，反而能在逆境中茁壮成长。

人不尝试酸甜苦辣不会成长，人不经历种种，如何能在有限的人生里有所体会，并留下痕迹。