workshop memorabilia

Today I am sorting out the cupboards that are full of ‘Yoga-De-Age Programme’ workshop memorabilia. It is such a thrill. We have a kaleidoscope; I peer through its lens to observe endless, colourful, falling geometrical patterns. I blow into the comb of a toy harmonica. It has that unique tone, reminding me of cowboy films. I play an old school recorder, the notes sound hollow and airy. We have Chinese Iron Balls. They produce high and low tones when used. I place the balls in one hand and rotate them clockwise. We have neon, coloured plastic windmills on wooden sticks. I find lots of finger size, plastic, grey, soldiers from the Second World War. I flick through the pack of a Paddington Bear picture card game, and inspect an ivory Domino’s set. I find a very old wooden skipping rope, the rope is blue and short; it must have been used by a very young child. I pick up a ‘Waddington’s game of ‘CONTACT’. I spot a set of Jacks.(Traditionally, jacks are metal objects bearing six tips at right angles to one another, four of which are usually rounded, with two opposite tips more pointed. This ensures the jack is relatively easy to pick up. Also required is a small rubber ball, used as a sort of timing device: the jacks are manipulated in the time it takes the ball to bounce up in the air and return to the height of the hand that catches it.) We have a bag full of coloured glass marbles. I have many complete sets of Brooke Bond Picture Cards, e.g., Freshwater Fish, Tropical Birds, etc., and albums, costing sixpence, to stick your cards in. I distinctly remember collecting cards, larger than the normal picture cards, called ‘Civil War News’ (American Civil War); each came with a thin flat square of bubble gum. I recall the shiny paper with cartoons that came with bazooka bubble gum. I can taste and smell bubble gum!
I have an excellent UK postage stamp collection. I have a special folder with stamps that I personally collected when I was 7-10 years old: ‘National Nature Week’. The 3d stamp has a pink background with a bunch of flowers and the date – 18-25 May 1963 on it. The 4½d had an orangey-red background with a badger, kingfisher and a deer on it. I have the set of, ‘Ninth International Lifeboat Conference’ – 2½d, 4d, and 1/6. I discover some juggling balls, rings, and a booklet teaching how to juggle. Once I could juggle 4 balls.
All these childhood objects can be used as props to help one indelibly imbue their Child-Age Affirmation. I sit and handle my toys, look through my picture cards and stamps, and recapture how it felt when I used to play and collect all kinds of things as a child.
Surrounding yourself with objects from your childhood will only enhance your effort when you are convincing your brain and body that you are young, happy, and healthy.
If you don’t have any objects from your childhood, go out and find them; I did!
Cheerio for now.