Last evening the L&M and I were sitting in our third floor balcony and watching children of our neighbours play in the area in front of the apartment block. Full of energy as children usually are they were chasing a ball and each other, not to mention climbing over flimsy metal fencing not meant to be climbed over. The last activity had the L&M worried and led to him warning the kids to refrain from climbing the metal trellis.
Looking at their energetic and naughty selves, I remarked to the L&M that soon, before we even knew it, the now two and three year olds who confined their time to supervised playtime in the park area would be joining them and running around wild in just such a manner. He rolled his eyes and agreed and we both laughed.
That’s when another thought struck me. Imagine, I said to the L&M in awe, in a few years time these kids here would be going to college. He agreed. And then they’d be joining work, I continued, all of it right in front of our very eyes! It seemed remarkable to me.
It may not mean anything special to many. Bur for me it seems amazing. You see, from the time I was born I have been moving places, never staying anywhere longer than two or three years. In fact in recent times even though I have been in the same city for quite a while, I have moved houses so many times that it amounts to the same thing.
Never have I stayed anywhere long enough to see anyone grow up. In fact each time we have settled into a house it has been with the knowledge that it is but a temporary residence. That knowledge seemed to influence the connections we made, not just on our part, but those families amongst whom we settled who always saw us as outsiders.
Now though we are in our own place and won’t be moving anymore. There is already that feeling among many residents of the apartment block that we are here for the long haul. That means that the L&M and I have EVERY CHANCE (provided we live long enough) of watching the kids playing below grow up as if they were our own children. That is going to be an absolutely new experience to look forward to.
© Shail Mohan 2022
Shail's Nest 
It is amazing to watch the little ones grow up. We have neighbors whose kids were very young when we moved here, and now they have children of their own. 🙂
Wow. That’s awesome! 🙂
It is, and looking back the years have passed so quickly. 🙂
This is indeed an interesting thought. When we travelled to the Western Cape to celebrate our daughter’s 40th birthday recently, some of her guests included young women I have known since they were five years old. Two of them were her bridesmaids and all but one of them are mothers!
That must have been a wonderful reunion eh, Anne? 🙂
Absolutely wonderful!!!!
It’s kind of amazing to witness people growing up/growing older. Makes me regret that I haven’t kept touch with enough number of people that would have given me more of this rare pleasure.
Indeed it is amazing. I have also missed out on this rare pleasure so far.
I lived in my hometown from the time I was a baby until I retired. My parents’ friends watched me grow up and I watched many kids grow up too. It is indeed a privilege to be part of a community. The problem is that it makes you feel very old when one of your grandson’s best friends becomes a father!
Haha. I can imagine that 🙂 I agree, it is a privilege, something I have never had in my nomadic existence.
It is an amazing thing. Being a teacher for 30 years, I’ve done it many hundreds of times. It’s a joy but you don’t half feel old!
I can well imagine how amazing it must be! 🙂