This is a topic I've been thinking about and today I decided to share it with the whole (world) blockchain. Let's see if I'm the only one thinking like this, or it's a common thing, and happens with everyone. Kind of know the answer to this question, but let's run a test. This in case someone is going to actually read my post and reply as well 😂
One of my dearest childhood memories is the kindergarten, where I spent 3 or 4 years of my life, I don't even know how many, I need to ask my dad. I've always looked back with joy and thought of that building like a palace. It was a biiiiig house, with big rooms, a very nice and stylish terrace and a back garden for us kids to play in. It would be the dream of any parent with kids, as it was just the right size for kids to be supervised properly and the right group size for kindergarten teachers to give proper education for kids. The building was built somewhere toward the end of the 19th century, then got nationalized as the communist regime confiscated most of the private properties that met certain criteria. This is how it became kindergarten, when we were kids.
Those few days were not yesterday, so a lot of time has passed since and whenever I pass by the building, I stop to have a look and enjoy the old memories.
A couple of years ago my brother had the chance to visit the building, due to his work and called me after to let me know. I was kind of jealous of him, in a very good sense, meaning I was a bit disappointed I didn't have the same chance as him, but happy he was able to step foot in it after so many years and here comes the funny part.
He entered the building and stopped right away, to look around. His reaction seemed a bit odd as people don't usually do that, even if you go visit someone, you don't start a full inventory of the place, so he told the owner that he, or we (both) went there for years, when it served as kindergarten. The owner was both surprised and happy, so was my brother but in a different way.
My first question to him was the obvious one, "how does it look like?" He said it's very nice, but sooooo small 😂. He described the shock he felt when he stepped inside and saw the rooms were not as big as in our imagination, not by far.
When you're a kid, everything seems so big, starting from adults, to buildings and spaces. Then as you grow, things change. Or better yet, you and the way you see things change. Obviously my brother knew this, but to actually see it with your own eyes and compare the image you had in your head with reality, is a different thing.
Just imagine how many childhood perceptions are overwritten over time. It starts with the tales and stories we are fed at a very young age. We learn that every animal is cute and good, we have a large range of wild plush animals to play with, then at the first zoo visit we learn there's no way we can pet them as they are far from as friendly as we have been told.
We think parents and grownups are always right and they know everything, till we realize the truth is far from it. Some are right, most of the time, others are not, and they definitely don't know everything.
I think the biggest shock is tied to places and spaces. When you grow up, your world is quite small, for so many it is reduced to the city of residence. Some have the possibility to travel and see the world as a child, but those who don't, think their town or village is the center of the universe. Then you grow up and have the chance to see and experience more than just your home town and realize how small your world has been.
The question is, are the old memories overwritten by the new reality? or you keep them as they have been for ages? I'm lucky as I still remember my kindergarten as a biiiig house, my brother not so much 😃
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