Things just aren’t the way they used to be when we were kids.
That’s a common saying among multiple age groups, and I don’t think it’s exclusive to any particular one. We all have memories of cherished childhood events, moments, friendships and relationships, and it’s interesting to see where things are headed when we flash forward to the present day.
I had a conversation this past weekend with someone that I’d been meaning to reconnect with for some time, and we started talking about high school and the things that we went through as teenagers. Conversations like that always have a funny way of bringing up the past and making you see things from a newer perspective as adults. Are those memories the same as when you last thought of them? Do they feel different? Are they more innocent or less?
The things that I remember as a kid are the memories that’ll stay with me as long as I live, and they were created in this small, rural area that has managed to change, adapt, remove some things and perhaps improve on them for new generations. My hope is that my future children will be able to make their own memories one day – whether it’s here or elsewhere – that they’ll look back on and reflect about.
Memories from my younger years include the following, and perhaps some of you may end up grinning in remembrance of something similar:
I remember the arcade buildings in Outlook. And yes, I said “buildings”. Most are probably thinking of the mini-mall one that was downstairs in a basement location on Franklin Street, situated between the flower shop and what is now Pederson Insurance/Outlook Mobility. Today, I believe it’s known as “the pit”, where those that are involved in the Equinox Theatre troupe gather for meetings and events related to their next productions in town, but back when I was a kid, it was a pretty cool arcade with a fair amount of machines that depleted me of more than enough change. But the other arcade building I’m referring to is the one that was on Saskatchewan Avenue, located approximately where the Co-op grocery store is now; although, now that I’m thinking about it, its exact location was probably where the Co-op’s parking lot is now. I remember going in there a number of times as a kid, and I specifically remember the awesome artwork location on the north wall just below the ceiling; it was always the first thing I saw when I walked in the place. Today, arcades just don’t seem to fly in small towns with all the instant technology in kids’ hands, and video games are so advanced that the generations of today can’t seem to appreciate something so endlessly fun as Donkey Kong or Space Invaders. I remember a few years ago someone tried opening one back up in town at the south end of Franklin Street, but it didn’t last. That’s a shame.
I remember Jam Can Curling as a kid going to Conquest School. Think curling, only with bleach or milk jugs filled with ice. This was a yearly February tradition for those of us growing up in Conquest, always held on a Friday before the week-long winter break and always ending with prizes for almost every kid who took part. To this day, I’m not sure why it was called “jam can” because we weren’t throwing cans or jam containers down the ice. I’ve been thinking about this one a lot lately because some urban areas around the country, including Calgary and just recently in Saskatoon, have started playing “crokicurl”, which combines curling with the basic rules of crokinole, and it uses the same bleach jugs that we used as kids in Conquest.
I think back to these memories and wonder if we’re doing enough for today’s generation and future ones. Sure, arcades won’t fly in this town anymore, but could something similar be a haven for kids and teens to gather and have fun? You probably won’t see dozens of kids sign up to play recreation curling, but I think this unique game of crokicurl could actually be a hit with all age groups, adults very much included.
I guess I just think that sometimes, a little of that “old school attitude” needs to be injected into these all-too-fast times we live in. I’d hate for future generations to look back and think their best times were spent behind a screen.
What really matters in the end though is this; when you look back on your favourite childhood memories, do you smile? Were they worth it?
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
