To Be a Kid or Not To Be a Kid AGAIN?
Brandon Bush
The Ashland Beacon
July 8th was Celebrate Be a Kid Again Day. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you could go back in time and live as a kid for just one day? What would you change? What would you try that you never tried before? Would you correct any mistakes? I think we have all thought about this at some point in our adult lives. For me personally, I know that is something I have thought about many times and spent many hours just sitting and pondering on all the things I would have changed and done differently.
The big key for me is being able to go back knowing everything I know now after forty-five years. I know automatically some things I would definitely change, but there are some things I don’t think I could change even knowing the pain it would put me through. With all that being said, here is a little insight of what I would adventure to change.
My childhood was full of basketball, football, riding bikes, and adventures through the woods. I believe I would have added a few more sports growing up if I could go back in time. Baseball would be the first addition to that. I always watched it through the years and even helped coach it once my kids joined little league. Spending that time with them really helped me develop a love for the game, not to mention, I was a very fast little booger.
FORE!!! That’s right golf would have definitely been thrown into the mix as well. Probably hoping for the simple fact that, maybe just maybe, if I had started earlier in life, I could have a chance at being decent at the game. Probably not, but it would be worth a shot, and it would be a lot of fun.
I would have tried my hand at hunting, but I don’t think I could have gotten that past my mom no matter how hard I tried. I think I could have at least gotten her to agree to a hunting bow…maybe. Now, the obvious thing I think all of us would do is study harder and improve our grades as much as possible. I know school was one area I could make the biggest difference in for myself. Just the thought of all the doors it could have opened up for me as I got older kind of makes me sick to my stomach.
For the family side of things, I was always close to my Papaw, Bill Fannin. We were partners in crime. There was always a good time to be had when we were together. I would have spent even more time with him. I would have been up with bells on to go work with him early in the mornings or go work at the flea markets on the weekend instead of mom and dad dragging me out of bed to get ready to go. I would have been at his front door banging away yelling “Come on old man; lets go make that money,” or start singing “Hey Good Lookin What Ya Got Cookin.” Oh, how Mamaw Fannin would have been so mad. I would have begged him to go fishing more. With enough annoyance and persistence, he would have given in eventually. I would have done all that just to hear his stories over and over again. I never got tired of hearing him talk. I would have also been in his garage a lot more just to learn from him and all the knowledge he had.
I have another old man I would have spent a lot more time with– Papaw, Don Bush. Talk about a genius with cars and electric… heck with about anything. The man just knew everything about everything. I would have spent the night at his house more often when I was younger. I would have gone to a lot more Boyd County games with him. Oh, how that man enjoyed watching his Boyd County basketball! I would have paid more attention to the stories he had to tell. I always loved him, but I really didn’t get to know him until I got older which is now one of my biggest regrets. I think he too would have been another partner in crime. Who knows, I might have even picked up some of his croquet skills. Well, I kind of doubt that, but I would have tried.
Now it goes without saying, by me spending more time with both of my Papaws, I would have of course spent more time with both of my Mamaws and would have treasured every moment with them just as much.
I learned to cook from Momma but would have picked up even more with them. Something else everyone should know about me and that is that “I’m a Momma’s Boy through and through,” and I wouldn’t change that for anything in this world. Growing up, I would have taken the time to bug the crap out of my dad to let me help with whatever he was doing instead of giving up so easily. Now don’t get me wrong—I’m very close to my Pops. I would have just liked to have spent more time as a kid with him, so I could learn and help him as much as I could. I learned over the years that Pops and I have a lot in common. Actually, a lot more than I ever wanted to admit.
Well, that’s a few of the things I would have changed, if I could go back in time and live as a kid again. Like I said, my childhood was pretty good. The biggest thing obviously is that I would have taken the time to make as many more memories as I could while I had them here on this earth. I love my family! I thank The Good Lord for them every day!
The best thing I could say to anyone would be that if you have the chance… take the time to be with your family… make those memories… and cherish every minute of it! We are never guaranteed tomorrow. Make as many memories as possible. Even if you had to sit through the same story told 100 times… don’t complain because you will wish you could hear those same stories just one more time once you aren’t able to hear their voices anymore.