I was reading friend’s post about letting go of things, yesterday, and had a rush of childhood memories and a sense of loss at all things I had to let go of as a child in a military family. Any kid who’s grown up in the same situation, whatever the military: army, navy, airforce, will know what I’m about to tell you. That, as a kid, you learn very early on in that life how to let go. And how not to bawl your eyes out when your mother tells you in no uncertain terms, ‘no, you can’t take Charlie with you on the plane.’
Charlie being a three foot high stuffed toy chimpanzee, dressed in red shorts and yellow top who was my constant companion for two years. I remember fondly dragging him everywhere with me, and insisting he go with me even to the bathroom when I needed to pee. Even if he were heavier and bigger than I was at the time and probably needed adult help to be carried.
But when I was told at the tender age of 4 that Charlie was going to a new home and wouldn’t be coming with us, yes, I bawled my eyes out and was inconsolable for anywhere between 2 hours and 2 weeks. At that age time had no meaning to me and yes, it could well have been 2 minutes for all I knew. It was at this young impressionable age that I learnt the hard lesson of what it was to be a military brat, and that letting go was going to be a really BIG part of my life for the next 10 years.
I got so that I learnt from my older siblings—only be attached to items that could safely be hidden about my person, in a deep pocket, a coat pocket, or a pair of rolled up socks in my suitcase. Items small enough to not make my mother’s keen notice. And certainly nothing as BIG as Charlie that might need its own seat on the plane; something that was definitely not happening, ever!
It was my sister who gave me the best advice, older and wiser than I. She whispered to me to ask my mother one day, when we were all out at a street market, for a little over the shoulder purse. And thus was born my way of hiding even more childish treasure.
Even now, as an adult, I am capable of walking away from just about everything I own without looking back, carrying with me only what I can fit in my pocket, or my bag. And you?
Photo by Tsuyoshi Kozu on Unsplash
Oh dear, how poignant. I guess it’s good to not be too attached to things, but at the same time, I can’t imagine having to give up my Smokey Bear.
I was, apparently, devastated. More so than I think my mother expected. I was obviously just at that age where I got separation anxiety. That monkey was my everything up till that point.
I still have my baby blanket. LOL. Nope. I don’t give up many things.
I really didn’t have much choice because Charlie the Monkey was so big, he would have needed his own seat. And that would have meant money my parents simply didn’t have. So Charlie was donated to another family. Otherwise, I might still have had him today!
Awww, Charlie… If you speak to my husband as I try to get rid of decades of “stuff”. I have a very hard time letting go of much. Although I don’t have much from my own childhood – it’s my kids’ things. They are pretty brutal, want to get rid of everything, I suppose I have more concrete memories of them with their things, being the Mom. I am now running out of icloud space to keep all the photos of things I have thrown out or donated!
Oh, I so sympathise with you on that count. As an aunty to 17 and now, great nieces and nephews, I have way too many photos. Thankfully, I’ve no trouble with too many childhood items these days, as after Charlie, I only ever attached to small items I could hide about my person.
It’s these little toys that mean so much to us, isn’t it? Well, I guess Charlie wasn’t little but you know what I mean. I am pretty good about getting rid of things as an adult but I know I was much more resistant as a child.
I think we all were a little more resistant as children, Stephany. It’s so much harder to give up that treasured companion, at the time. Only a little easier as adults.
Oh this is heart breaking imagining a kid not understanding why the best friend can’t come.
Guess you do have some little treasures from later years though. How wise of your sister of letting you in on the secret of owning a little purse.
I am leaning more towards the hoarder site. But I can be getting rid of memorabilia which surprised my husband because I keep all sort of paper and craft stuff but throw out love letters from old flames like it is nothing.
It was a very hard lesson to learn at a very young age, but yes, my sister told me how I could still keep things, but small things. And I still have a couple of little treasures from my childhood, even now.
Yes, it’s funny what we want to hoard, and the things we find easy to throw away when they no longer have meaning for us.