Powerful Moments I Miss From My Childhood

The last few posts have been about adulting and all the responsibilities that come with being a grown-up. I had a strange nostalgic moment the other day, while listening to some bedroom pop and staring out the window. (Yes, I know… Very dramatic.) The song I was listening to talked about wasting our time, staring at screens all day and how we need to make a change. And it got me thinking about the times in my life when I didn’t have a phone and I wasn’t spending all this time on social media. I felt an ache in my chest, thinking about what it was like being more present. That ache inspired me to write about all the things that I miss from my childhood. So with that said, let’s take a nostalgic trip back in time:

Hollywood Videos

We used to walk to Hollywood Videos from my home and I remember that every single time I entered the store, I would run straight to the horror movie section. I have always loved scary movies, so it was really exciting to see what new horror films came out. I used to analyze the cover of every VHS tape to get a sense of how scary the movie might be. I miss walking in and seeing the mural of actors on the back wall, Marilyn Monroe and Eddie Murphy. This was a safe place for me and a certainly a place that I miss from my childhood.

Creating a Movie Theater at Home

During the times when I couldn’t go to the movie theater, I would set up the sofa cushions to replicate a concessions stand, create little movie tickets, and I even had a toy register to take pretend money from my mom. There was something magical about reimagining the movie theater experience at home. Maybe it’s the thought of creativity that went into it that makes that memory so nostalgic for me.

Sleepover Adventures

Remember sleeping over at a friend’s house and all the adventures you could go on in one night? I sure do. One of the things I miss from my childhood is going on sleepovers. We would talk about boys, play outside until dark, do movie marathons, eat way too much pizza, and if we were really bad, we probably didn’t brush our teeth. I think what I miss the most is the bonding that occurred between us. It felt as though we were going to be friends for life and that nothing could break that bond. And I miss that. Quite frankly, I don’t think I went to enough sleepovers, but the ones that I went to were pretty memorable.

Playing Outside Past Dark

We used to be so careless and play out in the neighborhood until it was past dark. There wasn’t a constant eye on the clock or a need to get responsibilities done. It was just find a friend, play with them for hours, and not care about tomorrow. I mean, come on. How awesome does that sound right about now? I miss that carelessness and that intensive focus in the present.

This is actually something that I’m working now. I found that I was becoming obsessed with my goals and my eyes were always focused on the future. As a result, I had trouble seeing any progression that I was making in the present. So definitely thinking back on my childhood and being centered in the present is something that I am bringing back.

Watching Cartoons Every Saturday Morning

How nice was it to wake up late, grab a huge bowl of cereal, and sit in front of the T.V. for some good old cartoons. Okay, I know that I mentioned earlier about not doing any screen time, but we definitely had our own form of “screen time” growing up. We didn’t have smartphones, but we had T.V. Gameboys, Play Station…

Watching Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon on Saturdays was simply bliss. A little Tom and Jerry mixed with Fairly Odd Parents, count me in.

Going to Amusement Parks

Enjoying cartoons was the best, but you know what else was awesome? Going to amusement parks. I miss the feeling that I would get as I entered the gates and stared in awe at all of the insane rollercoasters. I would feel nervous, excited, enthralled… I recall talking my mom into going on rollercoasters with me. (Don’t think she really enjoyed it as much as I did.) Thanks mom! You’re the best.

Maybe once everything is a litter safer and amusement parks open up, I will get the opportunity to relive those feelings again!

5th Grade Camp

What a fun trip! We went for a week to a camp, where we sang hilarious songs, played sports all day, went on hikes, and enjoyed stories around the fire. Maybe it was being surrounded by nature, enjoying each other’s company, or the lack of homework… Whatever it was, 5th grade camp was the best!

I made new friends, experienced an environment outside of my comfort zone, and learned a lot about nature, specifically slug bugs. Something about camp creates a special nostalgic place in my mind.

Halloween Parties

Anyone who knows me is aware that I love Halloween and anything spooky. Halloween parties were no exception to this. Honestly, the best part wasn’t even the party itself, which felt too short in duration. The best and most nostalgic part was decorating the space.

We stapled black paper to the walls, replaced light bulbs with black lights, and went a little crazy with the cobwebs and decoration. Similar to Hollywood Videos, I felt like I was in my safe place. We would play the Monster Mash on repeat while decorating for hours before the party the next day. Can anyone else relate to this?

Creating Performances With Friends

My friends and I were all about creativity. We would create dance routines and puppet shows… I wish I could find pictures or videos! I remember working on a dance routine with my friend for hours and then feeling this sense of accomplishment when we called our parents in to perform.

As for the puppet shows, we went all out. We would take a box, cut out an outline for the curtains, and made a stage. I have no idea where we got the idea for this, but it is a prominent and nostalgic memory for me.

Swimming With Friends

We made a game out of everything and the pool was no exception to this. Sure, we played the common games: 4 Corners, Chicken Fight, Marco Polo, Sharks, races, swimming pool Olympics. But what really comes to mind when I think about the pool was how we let our imaginations go wild.

We pretended as though the deep end had sharks and we had to swim as fast away from that area as possible. There was also a black line at the bottom of the pool that divided the shallow end and the deep end. Can you guess what creature we conjured the line into? An octopus. I don’t know know why. It didn’t look like an octopus. But to us, it was. This made swimming with friends so exciting and adventurous.

My Stereo

I’m taking a time machine back here. Before smartphones and Ipods, I had a stereo. That’s right… I was a tiny kid, lugging around a stereo, attempting to carry it on my shoulders like I had seen on MTV… Whenever my friends wanted to play around the basketball courts on a hot summer day, I would bring my stereo down with my collection of CDs and we would blast music all day long. (I’m sure the neighbors loved that!)

I played Green Day, Blink 182, and Mariah Carey on repeat. Little did I know the influences that these artists would have on my life later on. Music will always take me back in time and have a special place in my heart. But specifically that stereo is something that I miss from my childhood.

Reflecting on Childhood & Nostalgia

From Hollywood Videos and Saturday cartoons to blasting music on my stereo, this list is a snippet of all of the things that I miss from my childhood. Thinking back, I know that life wasn’t perfect. There were a lot of blissful and careless moments, but there were also quite a few events that forced me to grow up. Maybe a little sooner than I wanted to. Regardless, I think it’s important to recognize the good and the bad. Isn’t that what life is? A stream of experiences? It’s up to the individual to ponder what they want. I like to think of my life’s story and where I came from. These childhood memories are where I came from…

What about you? What things do you miss from your childhood? Leave a comment below!

Good luck on your journey,

Harumi