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[av_heading heading=’DALMING | Lost summers’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ROMA GONZALES
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Wednesday, April 19, 2017
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“TIME you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time” is probably one of the most dangerous words-to-live-by for young people. Just because it goes with quotation marks and witty word play doesn’t mean it’s a nugget of wisdom. No. I actually believe now that for the most part, it is not.
Summer season always takes me back to childhood. Aside from sleeping in the afternoon and eating your meals up to the last rice grain for your parents’ peace of mind, I miss having that much free time in your hands. No homework. No quizzes. No 5 a.m. alarm.
Perhaps I am old. Perhaps I am beginning to be wise. But while both propositions are in question, my regret is certain. I hadn’t taken advantage of the vigor of youth and the freedom from obligations, and that truly saddens me now.
I could have learned taekwondo. Or knitting. Or watercolor painting. Or read more books. Or at least I could have spent some more quality time with my mother and family because while we forget that our time on earth is running out, so do other people’s. I knew I wanted to. But whenever summer comes, I would get siphoned into this vortex of television shows that I don’t remember anymore, and childish games, utter idleness, and cycles of lazy mornings that extended to late evenings.
I do still want to learn these skills now and I know I still have time, but my back aches occasionally, and I have an eight-hour day job to keep, bosses to answer to, and older adults to question my life decisions. Summer break is already a myth, an opportunity forever lost because, being distracted, I missed my cue.
It’s sad that the young people of today have a lot more distractions than we had. Time flies faster when they get too caught up in the trappings of social media. You can waste an entire day swiping, and there’s no real pride in developing strength of the thumbs. However, they have more options and greater access to opportunities that we never had. The best part is that adults are now more open-minded towards art appreciation and athleticism that a spark of interest in either or both is less likely to be met with laughter or scorn.
This is not saying the youth should spend their summers training for skills or acquiring new knowledge. If they want to go to a sports clinic or to be a part of some fast food kiddie crew, that’s cool. Encourage. Motivate. Challenge. What matters is it comes with their own volition lest it becomes a chore they will try to avoid.
You see, parents should be careful never to force down their own frustrated dreams to their children. It must be something that masks as play and helps them grow physically, socially, mentally, emotionally, and if possible, spiritually.
If it took a dozen wasted summer breaks to write this reflection and it saves at least one person some time he could never buy back no matter how rich he becomes, at least I can have some consolation. The regret is lessened. My idleness is justified. And despite the likelihood that young people will really only acknowledge this truth in hindsight, at least I could say I tried to warn them.
Besides, dwelling on past mistakes is self-defeating. Better to be jolted back to reality with the value of time now than 10 years after. Better late than never.
Maybe I could start with knitting. And with all due respect to the summertimes I hadn’t live fully, maybe I will have to start today. (rr_gonzales316@yahoo.com/PN)
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