A Brisk Walk Down the Memory Lane

The tangy smell of fresh paper which had infused the air hit me as soon as I entered the brightly lit stationery shop right around the corner from where I live. Having been smitten by this smell, it swept me right off my feet and transported me to my childhood. Isn't it true that our childhood represents the substratum of who we are right now, how far we have come along this journey, and what we are going to be in the future?

For in those good old days, there was promise in the air, and books used to be filled with imagination, wonder, and curious scribblings. Now as an adult when I look back, I feel a sense of awe and bewilderment, having witnessed the world around me transform from the innocence of childhood into the responsibilities of a man. And this feeling is all the more intense especially when you lose a parent at a very early stage. Then, life takes an offshoot and sort of side-tracks itself to pave the way for a new adventure. But what I realize now is that, despite the challenges that may lie ahead and those that we have overcome, there's still that promising space waiting for us within.

I've been fortunate enough to lead a fairly simple childhood, brimming with innocence and joy. I still remember the friends I had back then and how we used to play all sorts of crazy games just to kill time. It was a span of heightened creativity in everything we did, whether it was the music we sang together or even something as mundane as a walk along the sandy beaches, all the while being a dutiful student who tended to my studies with utmost passion. Those periods were magical and momentous.

That day, in that stationery shop, when I saw a pile of books stacked neatly on a table, all these memories came flooding back.

I'm sure that out of everyone who's reading this, most of you can resonate with this feeling. ????