The More Things Change – Peter Culley (29th)

As an avid reader and occasional scribbler I have long had a fascination with words and their contribution to our amazing language. Along with music, the words of the English language – when delivered by the really great exponents of literature and poetry – have the power to recall personal memories; awaken emotions; and give substance to our imaginations. Of course, the context is important. As Morecambe and Wise demonstrated, it is not enough to simply make use of all the words: they need to be in the right order!
In my 8th decade (as readers of the Newsletter will know) I still dabble, and maintain a keen interest in the printed word. This occasionally requires me to consult my Oxford English Dictionary when seeking a precise interpretation of some word or phrase. You will be familiar with the problem. You are reading a book or newspaper and suddenly come across a word or saying that you think you understand, except that a nagging thought raises a question mark in your mind to the point where you seek enlightenment.
One such two-word phrase recently piqued my interest and sent me to my computer to seek its definition on the Internet (since it was not in my copy of the OED) and that was the term ‘second-childhood’. On the face of it the meaning is obvious but the devil is in the detail as they say and I wanted confirmation. My search resulted in the following:
“A period in someone’s adult life when they act as a child, either for fun or as a consequence of reduced mental capabilities.”
OK, so far so good. Now we get personal. My childhood memories are mostly centred on my life in Grangemouth, Scotland where I lived with my grandparents and it was a good life. I lived in a very nice house with a generous back garden. My grandfather had a car, I had a bicycle, kept pigeons and had considerable freedom and we lived well in spite of the War. I later came to realize however that I had been routinely exposed by my parents and guardians – as no doubt we all were – to a number of what I suppose we must now recognize as being nothing less than lies or untruths (such as the periodic visit of the tooth fairy; the ever-present threat of the bogeyman; and the promise of Father Christmas if we went to sleep, etc.).
Back to the OED which describes these untruths in one of 3 ways. The least heinous is the FIB, described as “a trivial lie” (ie pretty inconsequential) whereas the LIE itself is “a deliberately false statement, or a situation involving deception”. A third mitigating definition describes a WHITE LIE as “a small, harmless lie told with good intentions”. It is clear to me that my grandparents were clearly guilty as charged but extenuating circumstances surely render them liable for nothing more than a suspended sentence!
In facing up to the distinct possibility that – at 84 – I may now well be entering a period in my life that can fairly be labelled as ‘second-childhood’ I am forced to analyse the evidence and draw the appropriate conclusions. No-one has so far suggested I have yet succumbed but it is best to be prepared. If the unthinkable has happened, am I indulging in it for fun as per the definition? I rather think not. Gone are the days when I ran through the fields, or took off on my bike, or got up to silly scrapes with my ‘gang’ (there were 4 of us). No one recently has accused me of such infantile pursuits.
That leaves the more troubling scenario of reduced mental capabilities. Given that I can sometimes be a little grumpy; often rant at the TV; and have been known to swear on occasion it is just possible that my detractors might see this as evidence of my second childhood. It is a sobering thought. I personally deny it vehemently but there is one connection with my real childhood that adds weight to the accusation.
Back then in the old days authoritarian figures in my life told Fibs (we might call them porkies today) They were well down the hierarchical scale of untruths but they existed. Today I am subjected by a host of other authoritarian figures who regularly bombard me with real honest-to-goodness Lies (not just inoffensive Fibs), These include such claims as ‘a 22 billion black hole’; ‘we will smash the gangs’; ‘no increase in National Insurance’ etc. Taken in conjunction with such recent national scandals as the treatment of sub-post masters, and the dubious dash for Net Zero, etc, perhaps we are all now experiencing a bout of the dreaded second-hand childhood! Ah diddums!