Article May 7, 1984 Issue

The landscape of childhood

UDAI B. HOFFBERG

Do you remember what it was like to be a little child? Your legs were short and it took a lot longer to walk places. Attention span often resembled leg span and sometimes it was so hard to wait for things.

Were those good days for you? Do you remember the thrill of discovering new abilities? The flexibility that could accomplish a physical somersault as well as do a mental somersault to accommodate a change of teacher and a change of class every school year? The perseverance that finally paid off in mastering the roller skates or a two-wheel bike? (I'll never forget the time I looked over my shoulder and my father wasn't running along holding my bicycle upright. I was streaming along on my own.) Do you remember the long days of summer and wanting never to be hurried? As children most of us didn't define "trust" with words but with our lives, for we were sure that parents understood everything and could set things right that went wrong.

Is the interior landscape of childhood so different from that of adulthood? Are fear, desire, hurt, pain, loss, any more or less challenging because of how tall we are or whether we still go to school? Is Truth larger for a child and smaller in power and presence for someone who has grown up physically and emotionally?

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
A gentle presence
May 7, 1984
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit