Eating Wind

As I felt the cool breeze on my face outside the car window, the contentment and joy of a 10-year old is quite hard to describe. The exhilaration, the thrill and more importantly, the opportunity to be out of the house.

Come to think of it now, the dangers of such act in the city is quite real, like sticking your head out in a moving automobile. Even more so now with the ever rampant crime which sometimes bring a shudder to one and all.

But as someone who had grown up in a small town, the unhurried driving pace, the smiling passer-bys, the cooling slow evening drive around the small town will certainly bring a feeling of happiness to any kid (or even pets!). Yes, I am back in my hometown now, and at times reminising about the good ol' carefree days bring a warm inner feeling. As I walked the narrow alleyway between the shophouses this morning, I couldn't help but smile as I imagined myself back as a kid, with my rollerskates on, daring myself and jumping across those ever so high and wide gaps between the drains, and trying hard not to run right smack into the wall. Actually, I don't think I ever did crash against the wall, but I recall more than one occassion when I was definitely flat out against the wall with my hands barely cushioning the impact. Yes, I did lose a tooth or two and even broke my collarbone when I was young, but that's another story altogether. :)

Seriously, the gaps are not that big, but as a wee lad, those gaps looked wider than the widest gaps! A real daredevil then, with rollerskates, and even a skateboard and a later progression to a BMX, but as one grows up, the urge to try and push the adrenaline factor has waned down tremendously. No, no rollercoaster rides, no bungee jumps, and definitely no skydiving nowadays. A more sedentary lifestyle is much prefered, with the exception of an occassional walk (especially to view a new place). :)

But I digressed. Eating wind as it is called, a direct translation of "Sik Fung", is something I miss. The joy of just being driven around with the windows down on a cool evening breeze has not been felt for a very very long time. As a matter of fact, I can't even remember when was the last time I hopped in a car and just drove aimlessly around to enjoy the sights. Sigh, city life is so much different from a small town, or even a kampung. Yes, I do count my blessings that my parents even had a car back then, and I had the opportunity to experience such joy. But the fact of the matter is, this is just one example of childhood happiness. Each of us grew up in a different environment, and each of us experienced the joy and heartache of life differently. And as I remind myself everyday, count your blessings.