The Sweet Taste of Childhood
Many say chilled beer is the best thing on a hot summer day.
For me, nothing beats eating a stick of sugarcane in summer; its sweet juice filling my mouth with each bite and leaving behind a cool sensation with every swallow. I munch on until every drop is gone and spit out what remains of the thoroughly chewed cane.
It is a satisfying experience.
Well, at least it was.
It has been over a decade since I have had it.
Sugarcanes were a part of my childhood.
I remember hot summer days picnicking in an open area in the forest.
Outdoor carpets were laid out with packed lunches and bottled drinks. Relatives chatted away nearby while we kids chewed on the canes like they were the best things we had ever had. At that time, they were.
Chewing on sugarcanes together were moments of bonding.
When I recall those moments, I feel like an onion being peeled back one by one. Just when I think I know myself, I find another layer.
Some layers are challenging to face, while others, like this one, leave me with a feeling of loss. I don’t really understand it. I only know that it is one of the first layers I have peeled and that many more are waiting.
What started as a goal to understand myself and the world around me has become a complex process in which I must peel back endless layers of my experiences and beliefs.
The frustrating part of the process is that I can rarely peel a layer myself. Instead, I have to rely on sudden recollections and understandings.
I wonder if a day will come when I have discovered enough to be content with myself.
