Jacob's Spring

I will remember April 2019 as Jacob's spring because my son Jacob was born in the middle of the month in the middle of spring shortly before Easter in the middle of the day in the middle of Buckinghamshire . He will most likely live most of his childhood in the 2020s. I hope that Jacob will have a healthy and happy youth with wonderful memories.

I ask Jacob, what does it mean to spend most of your childhood in the 2020s decade? What does it mean to be a 20s boy in the home of the Booths? Do you have happy memories? At the end of the 20s decade, Jacob will be 11 years old. All I can say is that I will listen.

Puddles

When my age was in single digits I would look at rain puddles on the asphalt as a beautiful thing. I would see the beauty in them in a fresh way. I can't look at them that way now. Oil stains in the road would be lifted by the rain water and float on the surface as a rainbow coloured film. The rainbow film would look like colourful streaks on the water. When I would touch the water it would feel cold. I wonder if I can look at natural things with fresh eyes. To be able to see the beauty in everything. Perhaps I can make myself see things that way.

Good times

When I was a young boy I remember getting a Hornby train set from my parents. I loved to play with it, the train was an Intercity. It looked accurate and it even made the "clackerdy clack" sound that trains make when it rolled across the tracks. It was electric powered and controlled by a gradient switch. It also had two lights on the front. I think that part of the joy of keeping toy trains is building the scenery for the train to travel through. Earlier in the week I saw on the news a man that built a one screen cinema in his back yard, that is very impressive. The projector was taken from a real cinema that closed down along with many other things inside. I was impressed that this man took his hobby to the next level.

I am grateful for such interesting news and good memories from childhood.