Monday Memories: Things I Believed in When I Was a Kid

I have a whole whack of memories that I'd love to share here, but I've realized that for most of them, I need to do some fact checking to be sure I'm remembering the stories correctly.  So... more on those memories to come.  Stay tuned!

For now, though, I've found myself remembering little snippets here and there from my childhood recently.  I've noticed a common theme... a lot of these snippets have to do with things I believed when I was a kid.  It's not one chronological memory, but I find it amusing to look back now and realize the very, very strange things I thought were true.

As my mom would so kindly spin it for me:  "You're not gullible, sweetie... You are simply extremely open-minded!"

Love ya Mom!

So, here are some of the little flashbacks I've been having:

1.  I used to truly and sincerely believe that Scott and Brett - 2 brothers from our neighbourhood - had buried a key underneath one of their mother's shrubs.  That key - if I could find it - would unlock a secret door underneath their porch.  Behind that door?  A fantasy play land that contained EVERY SINGLE TOY IN THE SEARS CATALOGUE!!!  Unfortunately, despite my best super sleuth skills, I could never find that darn key.  I'm sure Scott and Brett thought this was hilarious.

2.  I remember my parents telling us that we weren't allowed to go into the abandoned and dilapidated old factory that was down the lane way that ran alongside our house... that it was dangerous, and that there were giant rats inside.  I just assumed and completely accepted as fact my theory that the rats were at least 9 feet tall because of some illegal lab experiments, and that they walked on their hind legs, that they spoke English, and that they were cartoons.  I could barely walk past that old building without having a complete and utter heart attack.

3.  For a short time, I honestly believed that if only my figure skating instructor would let me wear my skate guards WHILE I was skating, that I could learn to skate as well as my friend/neighbour Christa.  Ummm... she was amazing, so I'm pretty sure it was going to take more than skate guards!  I'm also sure the skate guards would have only contributed to my rate of injury while on the ice.  I'm sure that my instructor was trying hard not to laugh every time I begged her to let me put them on.

4.  I practised - for insane stretches of time - jumping off the top/back of our couch onto the seat cushion below, all the while, flapping my arms like a complete lunatic.  I was convinced that at one time while I was just playing around, that I had somehow achieved a nanosecond of flight, and so I practised over and over again trying to replicate that moment.  How I thought that I had flown is waaayyy beyond me, but in my mind, it was true.  I never did achieve lift off, sadly. 

5.  My favourite show as a kid was Battle of the Planets (or G-Force, as we all called it at the time).  I wanted to be the character Princess sooooo badly!  I earnestly believed that if only I could get my hands on a transformer watch and a Princess costume that I could fly (I really, really wanted to fly as a kid!).  So, there were a couple of years where I asked Santa for a Princess transformer watch every Christmas, figuring that he would be the only one who could locate one.  Every one of those Christmas Eves, I would be practically vibrating with excitement, already picturing myself soaring out of our family room, out the side door, and into the early dawn skies over our sleepy little town - but unsure as to whether Santa could pull it off.  Sadly, I never did get my hands on a transformer watch... or the orangutan I asked for.  I would have been happy with either one.

Did you believe anything unusual when you were younger?