Uni High Gargoyle Staff Blog

Do you ever miss your childhood? I know I do.

In second grade, I lived with my dad in an apartment in New Orleans. Each day after school, I would eat ice cream, watch “Pokemon,” and go swimming in the pool downstairs. Then I would eat dinner, go on a walk with my dad by the river, and watch “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” while my dad gave me a penny for every question I answered correctly.

During those days, my troubles consisted of getting my dad to buy me a robotic puppy and winning four-square during recess. Each week, I looked forward to eating McDonald’s and getting $5 to spend at Dollar Tree. In my memory, second grade was full of sunshine and laughter.

In third grade, I moved to Indiana. School got a bit harder (teachers actually started assigning homework), but life was still relaxed and fun. Classes were over at 2:30 p.m. each day, and the bus rides back home were always a great social experience.

Once I got home, I would run over to my best friend’s house. When it’s warm outside, the two of us would grab our water guns and go fight with the boys in our neighborhood.

I saw less and less of my parents because I spent all my time outside being a tomboy. My worries consisted of not getting ambushed by a water-gun attack and getting an A on my spelling quiz. When I think of third grade, I think of excitement and happiness.

Now that I’m a sophomore, school is very stressful. Even though many juniors told me that sophomore year is easier than freshman year, I’ve found it quite the contrary. This year, there is always homework to do, papers to write, and tests to worry about. The fact that I don’t have a free period just adds on to the stress.

Afternoons are no longer about water-gun battles and watching “Pokemon.” Now they’re taken up by two-hour-long sport practices followed by at least two to three hours of homework. My troubles during elementary school seem so insignificant now, even though at the time, they were very important to me.

Now I worry about getting straight A’s, qualifying for state in whatever sport I’m doing, and surviving my weekly violin lessons. Who know? Maybe in a few years, I’ll look back and think that these issues were insignificant.

So yes, I miss my childhood. Sometimes I wish I could relive those times again. Even though I couldn’t bike more than two miles away from my house and didn’t have much freedom, life was so much more fun and carefree back then.

— Elaine Gu