You let every great moment pass without a care or thought because you believe it will all happen again tomorrow. You're not far wrong either, because your childhood is filled with so many fantastical adventures. If you had an imagination like mine then you could make a trip to Carpet World turn into an exploration of a far away planet full to the brim with carpet covered monsters and aliens pretending to be humans. You were the only one in on it, and it was bloody marvelous.
My childhood was brilliant. I loved every moment of it, and I class them as the best days of my life. Days being when exactly? Around 6 years old up until I was about 12. Starting at 6 because... Well, you gain an understanding of things and adults start to trust you that little bit more. You have been at school a full year, you know what the area is like because you walked through it to get to school and your vocabulary is getting pretty darned good. And it stops at 12 because obviously, high school begins; the place where imagination is kidnapped and locked up and fed to the dogs. All because they believe GCSE's determine where you will end up. Bollocks.
The reason I wanted to write this blog was because I wanted to discuss what I would like to think is the most important stage of my childhood. It wasn't a personal problem going on at home, it wasn't school work related and it certainly wasn't when I realised Father Christmas was one big lie.
It was the day I first came across Pokémon...
It only cropped up in my mind the other night/early morning when I sat up in bed and for about an hour and a half spewed out this massive nostalgic tale to my girlfriend (who seemed to enjoy the story). I remembered just how captivating the world of Pokémon was, how it gripped hold of your imagination without you having to really imagine anything. You lived for Pokémon. You practically breathed Pokémon.
My first interaction with that franchise came about when I was around 9. This was a year before it really captivated the hearts and souls of children all across Britain. Being in Year 4, every class gets a 'pen pal' and well it was time for us to get ours. Apparently, our school had a sister school in Canada or something a long those lines which enabled us to link easily with each other. This was before Facebook and all those other social networking websites so it was insanely exciting to think that you could write a load of old nonsense and some other kid on the other side of the world would read it and reply.
My 'pen pal' was a kid named Trevor. I remember the first time I received my letter, it was very surreal. Mainly because they had been given their pal before us. This enabled them to write directly to you... So as described it was simply addressed "To Jake".
I always try to reminisce the whole letter but I have no clue really as to the exact words. But I remember him speaking about how he played peewee Baseball and read books about Dinosaurs. Even though the whole letter was cool, it was something in which Trevor had attached that really had me mesmerised. In the top right corner of the letter, attached simply by paper-clip was a Pokémon card. At the time I had no idea what it was of course... But I still fell in love with it right off the bat. The colours , the artwork and detail put into the picture; it had my full attention.
I still remember what Pokémon it was;
A Charmander. It mattered not what his stats said and how powerful his moves were. I just wanted to show it everyone that would glance, even if only for a second. Right at that moment, the teacher called for "break time" and all of the class hurried to the playground. I rushed manically to see what everyone else had received from their pen pal and to see if somebody had also been given a card. But only 1 other kid had. It was a Diglett and was most definitely, not as cool as mine.
I had to wait a whole Summer nearly for the craze to arrive. Which it did, and boyo' boy did it. Pokémon was the biggest thing on the planet. Nobody could argue that, even if you were 25 years old and mad about the battle for Brit-Pop champion.
Once everyone knew what Pokémon was, you couldn't have a dinner time without someone debating what the best Pokémon was and why. Nobody knew why exactly, and even if everybody had the cards you still didn't really know how to play. But just like before, everything changed again. This change was to launch Pokémon into a whole new world of craze.
I'm sure everyone remembers how they felt when this played on the TV;
Every morning at 7:30 am, I woke up to catch up on Ash's latest adventure. Waiting in anticipation to find out what new Pokémon he would catch and most importantly; see when he would become a "Pokémon Master". I remember wanting him to be the best even more than he did.
When you become entwined in a craze as a child. You never really want anything other than to be surrounded by it. Birthdays and Christmas' all include asking for all the bits of merchandise and toys. PokémonPokédex's. All of them on the agenda of a Christmas list.
Waking up to find your Mum sat at the end of your bed with wrapped up presents concealing 2 booster packs of Pokémon cards for your Birthday. They are some of the best memories I have. Even if not just because I was happy at a present I received, but because I could see how happy my Mum was that she had made my world.
Moments like that don't happen anymore. I'm 21 and don't get me wrong, I don't expect to wake up in the morning and see my Mum waiting with a present for me. I have grown out of that but the thought and remembrance of such events makes me a little sad and crave for that childlike feeling.
Maybe that is what's wrong with adult life nowadays. There is nothing of real, genuine excitement to wake up for anymore. You wish you could watch 18 rated movies when you are younger, but the thought is always better than the real thing. I did wish madly that I could stay up later with all the older people when I was 10 but now I wish I could go to bed early like when I was a kid, just so I could wake up early to find Pokémon on my TV screen. But I know it won't happen. I wished for many thing when I was younger, most came true, and for the most part I am incredibly happy. But there is that little piece of me that desperately clings to the feeling of being a child. Seeing the world through tinted glasses, and not panicking over things that wouldn't have even existed at the age of 7, 8, 9, 10 and any of those other young ages.
Being a child is simple. You enjoy the finer things in life, and everything you come across shapes who you are when you grow up. Those life changing moments range from your favourite colour to a TV/game/toy franchise.
There are many, many more stories about Pokémon I have from being a child and plenty of other mad crazes I had such as Thomas the Tank Engine, Dragonball Z and Power Rangers. Though I am not going to keep rambling and instead leave it at that.
I have always wanted to know who Trevor was since first speaking to him. I only exchanged around 5 letters with him but I firmly believe he changed who I was that day I was first given a letter by him. Yes, I would have liked Pokémon anyway but the way in which I first fell in love with the franchise is a memorable one and I will never forget it.
For this, I thank Trevor and eternally grateful for that day.
"'Cause, I built a home... For you, for me. Until it disappeared... From me, from you."
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