Living as a small child in Jamaica with my paternal grandmother was a lesson in life I will never forget. I learned certain truths. What was someone Else's was not mine to give away or share.
I learned to respect other people's property. I learned it the hard way the first time.
Grandmother and I had a pleasant visit with our next door neighbor. Eating, drinking and sharing laughter with simple conversations. The news neighbors discussed and so forth.
The night passed swiftly for the first time in a long time. Remember, we only had a radio to ease the stillness of our evenings back then. For me, a seven year old without a playmate the woman's visit was a relief.
To show my gratitude, I did the unthinkable. As our friendly neighbor was about to leave for the night, she commented on a picture on our wall above the bed. "That is a beautiful picture, Ms. Spence." That was all I needed to hear when I responded, "I will give it to you since you like it."
Unaware that my grandmother did not care to share, I was shocked to receive a fine flogging that lasted forever, it seemed. When she was through, I had the awful task of going next door to bring back her picture. "Go now and bring back my picture!"
No sooner than after one knock, the door opened. "Here, take it back, I heard everything." I didn't have to explain. The wooden walls were thin.
Once a sharing child, always a caring adult. I still share. That won't change.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yardflex.com/archives/crying.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yardflex.com/archives/003222.html&usg=__Ilw3mqEOg51qMcq4oSfawDlRo30=&h=321&w=400&sz=25&hl=en&start=577&um=1&tbnid=6ahZoJkE4DzIMM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcrying%2Bchild%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D560%26um%3D1
I learned to respect other people's property. I learned it the hard way the first time.
Grandmother and I had a pleasant visit with our next door neighbor. Eating, drinking and sharing laughter with simple conversations. The news neighbors discussed and so forth.
The night passed swiftly for the first time in a long time. Remember, we only had a radio to ease the stillness of our evenings back then. For me, a seven year old without a playmate the woman's visit was a relief.
To show my gratitude, I did the unthinkable. As our friendly neighbor was about to leave for the night, she commented on a picture on our wall above the bed. "That is a beautiful picture, Ms. Spence." That was all I needed to hear when I responded, "I will give it to you since you like it."
Unaware that my grandmother did not care to share, I was shocked to receive a fine flogging that lasted forever, it seemed. When she was through, I had the awful task of going next door to bring back her picture. "Go now and bring back my picture!"
No sooner than after one knock, the door opened. "Here, take it back, I heard everything." I didn't have to explain. The wooden walls were thin.
Once a sharing child, always a caring adult. I still share. That won't change.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yardflex.com/archives/crying.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yardflex.com/archives/003222.html&usg=__Ilw3mqEOg51qMcq4oSfawDlRo30=&h=321&w=400&sz=25&hl=en&start=577&um=1&tbnid=6ahZoJkE4DzIMM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcrying%2Bchild%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D560%26um%3D1
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