While I’m still in the boarding school train of thought, we used to travel a lot. My Mom worked for Pan Am and my Dad for Thomas Cook. I’ve come to appreciate how lucky I was. By the time I was in fourth grade, I’d been to Paris, Brussels, Jamaica, England, Italy, Germany and Switzerland (I was too young to remember the last three), along with numerous trips home to Ireland. At the boarding school, most of the kids were children of diplomats. I knew kids from Belgium, Spain, America, Nigeria, England and Ireland. It was quite an experience to realize that we were all basically the same, and wanted the same things. Now, if only we could convince the adults that it’s better to work toward a common goal.
Free time at the boarding school usually meant making do with whatever was about, and your imagination. We had are own “hand-held” game back then, “Conkers.” It involved running a string through a horse chestnut and swinging at the opponent’s “Conker” with yours. Decidedly low-tech, but there is a “World Championship!”
Hey! Let's play Conkers!
When my brother made his confirmation, our Dad came down to take us out (a really special treat). Our younger brother was over in Ireland at the time, too. While my elder brother and I were in boarding school, he got to go to Brazil! One of my brother’s friends was from Nigeria and, since his family couldn’t come to him, Dad took him out with us.
What knees! No long pants until you were fifteen. Better to wear out your knees then your pants.
