I remember using coins as a kid. If you are a Nigerian reading this, born in the 90s, you remember the good old days when we used coins. We could buy candy and even water in a sachet with coins. I remember my mum would send me to go grind stuff and pay with coins. If you’re not Nigerian you may not get that last line. Let me explain that. There were people in the neighborhood that had industrial grinders, they’d use it to either grind in bulk or grind stuff that blenders cannot for a small fee, depending on what is being grinded.
We played outside, it was almost impossible to be born in the 90s and play inside. We would go outside, play in the sand, ride bicycles, watch TV once in a while. We would pick sticks and pretend to be heroes or villains, chase and be chased, run around for no reason. We always found a way to have fun, it was never about what we had or did not have, it was about having the most fun.
We did not have phones, well at least not the smart phones we have now, we had what was called Phonebooths or payphones and actually not us, our parents. Only a select few had access to computers and the internet. Now I have a laptop and a mouse and I can write a blog about how I did not have access to the internet to write a blog. I digress though.
Things used to be so different. Maybe its just me or maybe its because I have grown up, but I used to be so oblivious to so many things that the younger generation right now is aware of. Its beautiful and easier because there is so much that we no longer need to explain to them but its also scary how much they know. The access to the internet at the push of a button at the tip of your fingers; as someone born in the 90s, I did not have that luxury; as a matter of fact, I did not officially own a phone until I was much older.
I think the most important and most amazing thing that happened to me in the 90s that I never really appreciated or valued was the gift of sitting together with my family. Just us sitting together, having conversations, singing sometimes, even praying together. I would love to go back to those days just once, so I could see everyone again. It was so beautiful. Now we have all grown up. We have jobs and we have started families, we do not have as much time for each other as we used to have.
The craziest part about all of this while I reminisce is that in the time it took us to grow up, the world has changed like you would not believe. I mean some of the things that I never would have imagined would be invented are not only invented and in vogue but changing and developing and becoming better. I would never have thought of a smart phone as something I would own, like we would see these in movies but today, I have used more smart phones than I care to admit and the technology for smart phones are changing and developing everyday to levels that even the movies at that time could not imagine.
Somehow these smart devices have become the center of our universe, our lives revolve around them. We focus so much on them that we are starting to loose sight of what is beautiful in the world. I decided to go one day without my phone, and to be honest I discovered that I have put so much of my self and my time into my phone that one day felt like a week. It took me back to the days when none of these things mattered, we found a way to have fun with or without. I think we are missing that point today. Have fun. Life is not as uptight as we make it seem. Your mental health is really important. So, have fun and remember NOTHING AND NO ONE GIVES VOICE TO HOW MUCH FUN YOU CAN HAVE.
LIVE YOUR LIFE EVERYDAY AS THOUGH THAT DAY IS YOUR LAST. Enjoy life. You only have today. Frankly the way the world is going, it actually could be.
Its a long read but if you stay I promise, part 4, will be an eye opener.
