Bring Back De Ole Time Days

Wow, indeed times have changed and it is a natural progression as people mature and technology pushes us to the limits making the World a village instead of a distant transatlantic journey. Nowadays we can quickly get up to date with the events as they happen as reported by the media of the World.  The savvy internet surfers can browse to any page with information about any country and come to the lime loaded with information as if they lived in that part of the World.

When I reminisce about the good ole days I recall having to watch TTT at nights (7:00pm to be exact) to know what happened.  Now CNN is available via satellite and cable channels on the island and easily accessed via the World Wide Web.  I used to walk to the corner shop early in the morning to buy the Guardian and Mirror (later on the Express) to get up to date with the news. Now I can read the Express, Guardian and Mirror newspapers online edition and but just as up to date as everyone at home. We listened to Radio Trinidad (Jim Sutherland and Rennie Bishop were must listen shows) and 610 Radio (Phil 'The Thrill' from Laventille) and later on 100FM. Technology has now afforded us the ability to listen to WACK radio 901 fm and many others streaming on the internet from the homeland even thought we reside in a foreign land. 'Back in the day' life was quiet and very relaxed.We awakened on mornings, got something to eat and headed out to the nearby liming spot where ‘the boys’ would gather to talk about just every thing imaginable.

We were at peace with the World and ourselves and we were only concerned about who had the bat and ball – it was cricket or raisin’ (soccer). We also liked playing checkers (draughs) and this would go on for hours interspersed with a mango chow session or someone getting rowdy and a mini fight to solve the problem. Fast forward to the climate today where kidnapping and shooting are the norm. Today d'lime is dead... No one is at the corners or gather simply to have a good time on the block. A gathering of guys any place could lead the police to believe that something else was taking place – times have changed indeed. People are also being ‘cut down’ by passing cars with gun toting assassins inside. One can be killed for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, this never happened during my youth.

I can recall going to the forest to get cocorite and to bathe in the river. We went in a group that had a good time and disturbed the forest with our jovial noises. I loved those days now that I see what has happened to the land because of progress. Progress you say, well this progress has teachers in fear of students and adults looking over their shoulders in fear of getting robbed. Can I write about all the good times that I experienced? Of course I could but those would be my experiences for the period that I was fortunate to be a part of. Somebody from this generation would counter with their experiences for this period. Of course they would write glowingly about how good these times were to them and depending on the circumstances of the day ask to 'bring back their ole time days'.

Here is just a short reminder of some of the things we did as kids:

Do you recall riding box cart and pelting mangos and using sling shots? Oh and one must not forget ‘stinking toe’ with donkey eye seeds, Chinee tamarind, Kite flying with the younger kids flying ‘chicky chungs’ and the teenagers flying ducking kites and playing zwill. Of course the mad bulls were in the hands of the adults because those kites could not be help by a young person – the pull was too much. Then there was ‘stick-em-up’ (Bonanza and Lone Ranger influences), liming on de corner, making and eating black ting (milo with powdered Klim and sugar), black poop (condense milk with Milo and sugar). Of course everyone wanted to play wind ball cricket or raising (football) on the street. I enjoyed going to the forest to get cocorite (the pink one was my favorite), balata and to bathe in the river. Everyone played card games but the adventurous kids played for bokey and that meant swollen fingers when you lost. One chore every kid hated was sweeping the mango leaves from the yard with cocoyea brooms – "fuss ah hated to do dat".

I can only reflect, watch what is happening today and conclude on account of my experiences, that my “ole time days” were so much better to have been a part of than the experiences of this highly technological society.  So sit back, relax and put on Nappy’s Ole Time Days and reflect on how wonderful our youthful experiences were – our youth is gone but surely we can continue to dream and remain young at heart.

Nappy Myers: Ole Time Days

Levi Myaz: Ole Time Days

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