"What I want to know is, if you had access to the Tardis and were able to tumble through time and space to visit a younger version of yourself, what advice/words of wisdom/fashion & beauty policing would you pass on?"
This was the challenge set by Paula at 'Battling On'. Am I one to shrink from a challenge? Nope! I am going to go with the words of wisdom bit and, because I don't want to get into trouble with Paula for hogging the Tardis, I am going to write about one incident only.
One day when I was 4 years old my 3 year old sister and I were playing on the cattle grid at the end of our driveway. I have no recollection of the game we were playing, but probably something like 'tight rope walker'. My sister slipped and her leg got caught between the bars and she couldn't get it out. A tractor was coming towards us, and kept coming.
I ran out in front of the tractor to get it to stop (oh, it must have been doing all of 10 miles an hour!) but it didn't stop. I started jumping, waving and screaming hysterically because I thought it was going to drive over my little sister. She was screaming even louder than I was by this stage. The tractor kept driving. There were three men in it, we knew them. It pulled right up to the cattle grid, stopped and the lads jumped down from the tractor, laughing, and helped my sister up. I brought her up to my Mum and then had to admit that I went outside the cattle grid to stop the tractor. We weren't allowed outside the cattle grid, but I didn't get into trouble because this situation was different.
The tumbling tardis has arrived and I can go back to that moment in time. What are my words of wisdom?
There isn't much I would say to Little Jen, except maybe not to play tight rope walker on the cattle grid. BUT I would
I would gently remind the lads that children do not see the world as adults do, this is why they have parents and adults to protect them. I would be a bit annoyed with them because Little Jen was massively afraid of cattle grids for about 25 years after this event and refused to walk over one, not even on the concrete bits that were safe! I would also point out that Tractors are HUGE when one is 4 years old.
I have to admit I can see the humour in the situation now too and would probably have a laugh with them about it, after I had set them straight!
I now hand the tardis over to:
Mandie@ Maddies Ramblings
Jean @ Planet Outreach
Patricia @ The Odd Adventures of Dr Destructo
and YOU!
What are, or were, you afraid of that might seem unusual? C'mon, don't leave me here on my own with the cattle grid! That is a general question to all readers, the tardis challenge can be about anything at all.
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27 comments:
Those 3 men were really mean!! I can imagine the fear. I once let the handbrake off my mums car when she went into a shop. It was parked on a hill and I had to pull on it with all my 5 year old strength to stop the car colliding with the traffic. That'll teach me!
I would have been attracted to the cattle grid as well..wonderful thing to play tightrope walker on! sigh...it seems that on most days I can look back to just the day before and wish to go back and change something or other..I do wish that there were a way to sometimes just go hours back in time..say to when I was in the grocery store..and remind myself not to forget the specific thing I went in for..because invariably I always forget it. :)
It's funny now I guess but it wasn't then! Great post Jen! I love those pictures and especially the cute rosy cheeks...is it because you already had a bite of the cake? lol! You could have played Annie in the musical of that name, perhaps you did?
Wow! Now I understand why you were able to remember something from when you were four years old. Come to think of it, I can remember things from that old too...a tornado in the distance coming toward our home and our St. Bernard knocking me down and drowning me in slobbery licks.
I realized recently this is probably why I start panicking if I perceive my husband is kissing me too long...and why I hate for him to have a dominate position over me while kissing.
I don't know whaat advice I'd give myself...probably more of a thumbs up :)
I read that as though it was that scene from The Railway Children where she takes of her petticoat and waves it to stop the train when the landslide happens.
I'm loving the pics of you too :D
Great blog post, Jen x
It would be interesting to see how the lads remembered it, if they even did, it probably wasn't a big deal for them at all lol. Thanks for the comments:) Jen.
Great post Jen and something I'm sure is going to be etched in your mind forever! Silly men probably realised how frantic you were and though it would be funny to give you a fright. I'd get them by the scruff of the neck too if were you lol. Its a good reminder to us all though on how children percieve things differently to adults. I remember watching Supernanny once where she made the father go around on his knees to see how intimidating it is to be looking up when someone is cross. I made sure to always get down to eye level after that episode! xx
My inner aspie was shrieking as I hit publish when I realised I'd spelt perceive incorrectly lol!!! Oh well :)
I wonder how the men in question remember it? That is a very clear and striking memory for a 4 year old, no wonder you had a fear of cattle grids after that. I am afraid of ice cubes, long story, but it is why I am going Anon for the comment! Ice cubes is a lot weirder than a cattle grid?!?
I too thought of The Railway Children! I can't say that I am afraid of anythinig unusual or even vaguely interesting.
Ah Jen, what a great post....I'd feckin KILL those lads!!!!
You were ridiculously cute when you were 4 (you're just plain old ravishing now!).
Thanks a million for the tag...very apt too as I was a Dr Who nut (back in the Tom Baker days) and I will have to have a think about this one...watch this space xxx
great post Jen no wonder this stuck in your mind it must have been terrifying as a 4yr old trying to protect her little sister I think I would go back and talk the 22 year old me out of accepting a date with a certain guy
I could feel the fear as I read that. How mean where them men.
I cant think of anything right now but its gonna bug me till i remember something.
I was really scared for you both then.... you brave girl Jen- how many 4 year olds would have done the same? Great interpretation and, like Nicky, I love the photos of you and your sis.
What am/was I scared of? The Bogeyman - I'm not being glib here...I hate the dark even as an adult and at night, when i turn out the lights and walk up the stairs I always get that feeling that 'someone' is watching me....
Wow, I would have been so terrified with fear at 4 years old. You were a brave little girl indeed. Love the photos!
My parents made the mistake of taking us kids, I was at the tender age of 6 or 7, to see a bigfoot movie when it was all the rage. And it terrified me for years, thinking that this monster beast was going to come crashing through my window. Sometimes I would cry myself to sleep.
Great memory Jen! I wonder is this a bit of a 'boy' thing? On the way to school, lots of the boys I know, including mine, think it's hilarious to run headlong towards the road and then stop just at the edge - giving all the Mammies heart attacks lol
Very scary moment there Jen! Those men were very mean. And you were the brave, and terribly cute, older sister! xx Jazzy
Well as a city girl I have no clue what a cattle grid is and have never been close than 100 feet to a tractor, but it sounds scary.
Oooh, you and your sister were brave to be playing on it in the first place! There was a cattle guard in front of my great-grandparent's house, and I was always afraid to walk on it. I salute your four-year-old self!
I love the tardis idea (especially if David Tennant could be in it!) not sure what I'd go back to but I'll probably lay awake tonight thinking about it!
I'm glad you added a picture - I had no idea what you were talking about. All I can say about the men in the tractor is "boys will be boys"
Great post - and how cute were you! I can see why it would have freaked you out. The men in the tractor need to find people their own size to pick on!
Such a brilliant post Jen. You can see how much your children look like you did as a child :)
Ohh Jen, I would have been totally scared too! Do you know how thick I am , I thought to myself tonight. It would be good if Jen linked up an old post, I'll check out number 1 and see if she does..... and here it is! Nice to read a bit more about you. Mich x
You two are so darn cute! I can just imagine the horror of that tractor bearing down. Shame on those boys!
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