(1072) Physical activities

As memories of my childhood came back, I was reflecting on how my children did while they were young in Silver City.

None of my children was co-ordinated enough to play sports that involved eye-hand co-ordination. In a big city, such children would end up glued to the TV or books. However, in a small town, there are lots of opportunities for all sort of physical and fun activities.

I think of the many fun afternoons I spent with my children, after 4pm, at the public swimming pool. They were not real swimmers, not skilful enough to save their own lives without life jackets. But hours of paddling and floating must have done wonders to connect their left and right hemispheres for certain essential tasks for school and their future jobs.

My children were blessed with playmates who are the children of my close friends. Running round a spacious garden and climbing the rambutan tree trained the body to respond to instructions from the overworked brains from the overwhelming classroom work. They would walk with their lighted lanterns on moon cake festival year after year in different neighbourhoods at night. It was fun and educational. For children who are clumsy, ability to walk without falling down as well as keeping the lantern lighted but not burning the cellophane body is no easy task.

From a small town with nothing much to do, we used to organise short day trips to nearby hot spring and lake resort during public holidays. Even sitting on rocks trying to make a picnic meal took real effort. By the time parents were brave enough to take the rambunctious group to a waterfall for an afternoon, it was a survival course on how not to fall on the big rocks.

On top of all that, music lessons were affordable. Piano and guitar were the popular choices for boys and girls in Silver City. Two of my children had at least two years of ballet. It did wonders for posture and upper-lower limbs co-ordination.

Looking back, it was no accident that we relocated to a small town long enough to provide a chance of the outdoor lifestyle for the children. God is good, he doth all things well.