When I was young,
I used to cycle without brakes, pedal or a seat.
My young child doesn’t ride without helmet, knee guards or wrist guards.
Childhood has not changed, I have.
When I was young,
I gazed at the stars, brighter than the city lights and shining like little diamonds.
Now, I move away from the city, its polluted air and noise to see a faint star.
The stars haven’t changed. The environment has.
When I was young,
We didn’t have a phone but my friend and I chatted for hours together with no concern for the passing of the day.
Now, we have phone and internet. It’s months since I talked to her.
Our friendship hasn’t changed. Our lives have.
When I was young,
I shared my hopes, dreams, desires and disappointments in pages and pages of letters to my friends.
Now, we exchange messages in as many words as there were pages earlier.
The language hasn’t changed. I have nothing more to say.
When I was young,
I travelled by rickety buses and slow trains. Journeys took days.
Now, I travel by planes and reach in hours.
My destination hasn’t changed. My lifestyle has.
When I was young,
I was fearless. I fought, risked and charged forward. Without a care in the world.
Worries haunt me, I fear ill health, death and destruction.
Life has not changed. I have become old.
