Childhood Norms That Seem UnBELIEVABLE Today

Imagine a world where children are left to navigate their day-to-day existence with limited means of communication and little parental oversight. It's a world that, while perhaps unimaginable in today's age of instant connectivity, was a reality for many children in the past.

The Struggle of Early Independence

Looking back, one experience stands out: the days of leaving home alone for long hours with no mobile phone. At the age of just eight, I spent five and a half days a week traveling to and from school. The journey involved a grueling bus ride across two towns, coupled with a treacherous walk through a sleazy district on the way back. School finished around 5 PM, and then there was a mandatory tea break, followed by two sessions of prep work, all under the dimming lights.

The return journey home, often made in the dark, sometimes took until 7 PM. On occasions when the bus was delayed, forcing me to walk a mile to the bus depot, it could be as late as 9 PM or even after before I finally reached home. Yet, such was the life, and none seemed to think it was out of the ordinary. To many young people today, this might sound absurd, but it was merely the norm back then.

School and Beyond

My school life was troublesome from the start. After four years and many difficulties, I was expelled in early summer. Some say I was a 'degenerate', but more politely, my dad was asked to remove me due to my being unmanageable. Further down the line, it wasn't just my character that was under scrutiny. The school brought in psychiatrists to examine my brain, something which, while perhaps needed, seemed excessive at the time.

These experiences contrast starkly with today's standards of child safety and parental protection. While today's parents might not conducive to such practices, they are indeed nostalgic reminders of a bygone era where children were expected to be more independent and self-reliant.

A World Without Modern Amenities

Vivid as these childhood memories are, they also bring to light the stark differences between then and now. Here are a few things that might seem foreign to today's youth:

Hardly any family having a car or a telephone. Everything was done manually. No 24-hour television to keep the little ones entertained. Having a 'bath night' only once a week, and sharing bathwater was common. Most shops were closed on Sunday, a day reserved for rest and religious observance.

Modern Reflections

Heading into adulthood, I was an innocent in many ways, unaware of the underhanded nature of so many human behaviors. Laughing now, it's hard to fathom the lengths some people would go to betray someone. My youthful innocence was treasured but, alas, there is no turning back the clock.

But the memories, with all their challenges, have formed the person I am today. You may scoff at my tales, but they remind us of a world that, while strange by today's standards, was very much a reality for those who lived through it.

So, the next time you hear a story like this, remember the wonder and the simplicity of that past. It's a reminder that while technology and societal norms have advanced, the human experience itself remains the same.