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Childhood rituals and fantasies.

ASTONITE

ASTONITE

master brummie
I've looked through the threads(no mean task) and can't find anything on the above,( apologies if there is one already).The question is : Did any of you have particular rituals or fantasies when you were a child, e.g. no treading on cracked paving stones? Did you or any of your siblings or friends have imaginary playmates, (my daughter had two, we had to lay a place at the table for them,) No doubt nowadays someone will come up with some psychobabble reason for these childhood beliefs.
 
I always made sure my dolls were sitting on the floor at bedtime, because they woke up when we went to bed and they might fall and hurt themselves,never walk on the cracked paving slabs,and i also tended to count how many steps it took to get to the shop,
thats if i was walking i usually ran
 
I still have fantasies,but now, I know they wont happen...One ritual,I remember was to see how far I could go,without touching the ground...along the tops of walls,or over the roofs of brewhouses,miskins,and occasionally house's.
 
Hi Elizabeth,Ray,co-incidently, I used to count every step to school, it took me ages to get out of the habit.
 
Ray Barrett said:
I still have fantasies,but now, I know they wont happen...One ritual,I remember was to see how far I could go,without touching the ground...along the tops of walls,or over the roofs of brewhouses,miskins,and occasionally house's.
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Ray thats another one i done stayed of the pavement but only on steps or very low walls,Astonite i think its fairly common the counting
 
G/dAY Astonite.......
Interesting Thread......My imaginary friend was named Guspud......He lived under the floorboards in our old house in South Rd Erdington.....
Many years later my late Mum would remind me about my friend......Perhaps it was due to being an only child at the time?
Well.....its a fine line between brilliance and insanity but i turned out o.k.
 
I read some where once that children who had imaginary friends were 'gifted' and possibly in touch with some 'higher plain'. Who knows?
 
Astonite,
Our miskin was next to the outside lavatory,(dunny) and you could hear the rats scuttling about,it terrified me,I'm scared of rats ,(must be ratophobia).I dont think I went to the lavatory after dark,untill I was in the army.
 
where i was born in our nans back to back house the miskins were out the door turn right and there was a brick building divided up so that everyone had their own space for them...the brewhouse was on the left...if you look at this pic you can just see the mangle outside and the back of the lavvy...lol

lyn
 
I had an aunt who was very superstitious and if there was a can in the gutter I would kick it to get her going. I think that is where the saying came from don't kick the can as you were supposed to die. I have put this photo on some time back but as the subject has come up again thought I would upload it for folks who had not seen it the first time around. Jean.
 
great pic jean..the old ones always seem to make the past come to life for me...

thanks for posting it....

lyn
 
ASTONITE said:
I read some where once that children who had imaginary friends were 'gifted' and possibly in touch with some 'higher plain'. Who knows?
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You could have something there, ever wondered why imaginary friends have strange sounding names, as above-Gospud ? Never seem to be called Dave or Susan or anything like that.
 
Yours too Lyn especially the mangle. Nan had a wash house at the bottom of the back to backs in franchise street with a tub and dolly oh and of course the wash board. The neighbours used to keep their bikes and bits and bobs on there without fear of anyone stealing them. Jean.
 
Astonite - an excellent post! It is fascinating to recall the 'coping mechanisms' we employed as children to avoid/deal-with all manners of fears and insecurities....children are naturally, I believe, a superstitious crew at the best of times....and that's before adults contribute to their problems by telling them the 'bogey-man' will get them if they misbehave!

These coping stratagems are harmless enough, unless they persist beyond their allotted span, that is. Indeed, they are very helpful to children, who otherwise have very little control over their lives in an adult world.

I recall having a seemingly desperate need to get down stairs before the lavatory ceased flushing! Why is this??? I know lots of people who shared this peculiarity....but it's not that children learned/borrowed this fear from each other; I don't recall ever discussing this fear-ritual with any other child...far too embarrassing! So from whence does it originate???

For years I favoured the out-side lavatory as it was much easier to just get out, and shut the door, than having to hurtle down-stairs at break-neck speed!
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I had a similar fear of our vacuum-cleaner....I was ok if I could see it, whilst it was making its noise; but once out of sight the thing terrified me.....as if it suddenly turned into some wild beast!
 
ahh jean..those were the days....i cant recall any problems with leaving your front and back door open either.... i reckon that was a ritual in itself...in actual fact by doing this our dad many years ago saved a womans life...

lyn
 
Hello all,

My daugthter Yvette { now 58yr. } had a best friend.

It was a puppy dog and everywhere we went she used to pull a
piece of string behind her as if the dog was on a lead.

We did get her a really dog when she was a bit older.

Betty.
 
Re,, post 15 rushing down the stairs when the toilet is flushing, i think a lot of children have that, my niece had two dogs Peter and Paul she took them everywhere with her,getting off the bus one day she suddenly realized she had left Peter on the seat,her mom tried to convince her she had it,while the bus driver looked confused,eventually her mom had to go right to the back of the bus pick nothing up and hand it to her daughter,much to the amusement of all the passengers
 
hi liz..thats a lovely story about your neice...i wonder how long the bus driver was confused for lol....i wonder did any one else have this ritual as kids.....we had to walk the length of the street or road without treading on the cracks of the slabs....when no one is looking i still do it today....looks like i will never grow up...

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi liz..thats a lovely story about your neice...i wonder how long the bus driver was confused for lol....i wonder did any one else have this ritual as kids.....we had to walk the length of the street or road without treading on the cracks of the slabs....when no one is looking i still do it today....looks like i will never grow up...

lyn
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very happy times lyn
 
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