Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 63:The Lies I Grew Up Believing

Hello friends, it interests me to make my views known on this interesting contest, hosted by our dear community, steem4nigeria. We all grew up in a society that was expressive in the 80s and 90s. We cannot exonerate ourselves from some of these stories as they keep us in check. My little thoughts 😃

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What were the lies you believed while growing up?

There are so many of these stories that got us overwhelmed during those times. As kids, we are open to everything and all of these things said were true for us. We didn't have any reason to doubt but rather believe them to the latter. Sometimes, when we try to show inquisitiveness, we still end up with a revolving storyline.

Tooth Falling Tales:

The first in my list is the issue of tooth/teeth falling off. We were all guilty and fell for this lie. We were told to throw away our fallen teeth into the sky so birds could eat them up and give us another brand new tooth. While doing this, we should make sure it doesn't fall on the ground and settle for lizard pickups. Instead, it should fall on the roof where these birds can still pick them up.

I am still wondering what happened to the senses of children at that time. Believing this was just easy for a child but unbelieving growing up to know that we once believed this fairy tale. But in all, I laughed out loud each time went back in memory lane.

Just to show that this vicious cycle has stopped, my kid came. Up with the same story, Pa, which I can't remember telling him anything about. But in his path, he mentioned that keeping the fallen tooth under the pillow, sleeping on the nighattackscts coins fra om fairy in the morning.

I remembered disabursing his mind from this falsehood to avoid any unforeseen damage. At that time, he was already trying to forcefully pull off the other shaking tooth to earn fairy coins. We can see sometimes that these lies turn out to be harmful to kids. Not all of them seem to come out good, always.

Touch & Get Pregnant:

This was another funny one in the air. We get to find out that this tale is intended to disabuse the minds of these young minds from unnecessary immorality that comes from boy-girl relationships. Our parents thought well for us since they may not be everywhere with us.

This was a story that entails that when a male child touches the opposite sex, she gets pregnant. Being kids, we felt that merely touching the opposite sex would result in that. As for the males, we were careful not to touch any girl child, and this was applied to the females as well.

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Cattle Egret (Chekeleke Bird) Tale

This is another funny tale that got me laughing out loud. This is a situation that involves waving our hands to the sky and chanting a song in plea that we need stains of white on our fingers. We literally ask these birds to make our fingers whiter. We attribute some of the white patches on our fingers to these birds but that is untrue.

Orange Seed Growth on Our Heads:

We would wonder how this story was sold out. But this was the most beloved tale on the list. It was more practical to our way of living. Each time we consume this fruit, as kids, we are mostly found to swallow the seeds, and the easiest way out is to sell this idea that brings caution.

It is believed that when we swallow these orange seeds, they germinate in our stomachs and protrude through our heads. This was a scary measure to make us cautious at all costs. No child wants something to grow from their head.

What was your reaction after finding out the truth as an adult?

Finding out as an adult, was a laughing galore for me and whoever I discussed all that with. It is something that should remain in kids' space because that is the only place it made sense. It does not make sense for an adult.

However, I've come to realize that some of these tales are corrective and control measures aligned in such a way that kids do not detail from their overzealous quest...

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Do you subscribe to telling lies to young minds in a bid to protect them, or do you choose to call a spade a spade?

Those older years have gone and we are in the jet age. We do not need to tell lies to the kids to protect them. There are several ways to protect a child and not necessarily have to lie to them. I do not subscribe to that line of thought.

I choose to call a spade a spade for them to learn right. In doing so, I should be able to have control measures in this same view to pass whatever information unlike what lies could have done.

Thank you, Friends!!!

I'm inviting @eliany, @chant, and @wilmer1988 to join the contest.