I got an SMS from one of my students. It goes like this..
"One of the best childhood memories.. No matter where you fall asleep- sofa or floor , You always wake up on the Bed"
True, very true right? There is always someone to take care of you.
Wish, we always have that facility in our lives.
I too have some very interesting childhood memories..
The smallest pencil i had was just around one inch long and I used to write with it still. We were given new pencil only after the entire pencil is exhausted. (But my kids dont have such difficulties in life today!)
When my mother came home from work, we searched her bag with full of hopes - feel extremely happy when there is a Vada/ cutlet folded in a newspaper. She had carefully folded it and kept the one or two party tidbits for her children (whenever some official function happens at her office). We get such items to eat only on such occasions. ( Now, when my children utter the word "pizza" or "crispy chicken" , its on their table!)
And then, there was this piggy bank like box, where we used to put coins. We collect coins from father's shirt pocket or the corner of the yellow almirah where he kept the 10ps , 20ps or 50ps coins after his cigerette expenses! (Now, my kids also have a piggy bank, but they get to put 100 rs notes in it!)
Today, my kids get to wear the most modern outfits at every possible occasions. Also, the excitement is costlier than those days!
We finish all our homeworks and wait patiently to watch "chithrageetham" or " chithrahaar" in DD. Also ,Sundays are meant for "Mahabharatha", "Ramayana" and yes, one Super hero drama in hindi ( i forgot the name!). We never understood fully the dialogues or the story, but we wait for it the whole week, coz, that's when we get to watch TV for a long time (more than three hours at a stretch!). Now my kids can browse through atleast five or six cartoon channels itself. Still they seemed to be bored!
Going for a movie is something like a HUGE festival. I remember how we all (my father, mother, me and my sister) in a Lambi Scooter, went to "Kilukkam" movie. -probably the BEST movie experience i ever had. We actually went to some other theatre first and then we didn't get ticket. So, we went to this theatre, without much knowledge about the story or reviews or anything! I still remember , my own happy face after watching that movie! (I can't remember any such movie experience off late!). My kids today go to multiplex theatres and have popcorn for Rs 750!
My school- my teachers- they were not "groomed to look like a model" nor "spoke english in british accent" . They spanked me with cane, scolded me harshly and gave me impositions. But still , they influenced greatly in bringing out the best in me. (Today , no teacher can dare to scold a child or beat a child! )
We used to walk home from school. almost 3 kilometers. My mother gives me Rs 3 everyday for autofare. My sister (lazy and a slightly fat girl) , poor thing, she cribs and fights with me the whole way back home! -Coz, I saved the money for buying some curios from the roadside shop. I was always called as a "pishukki" (miser). The curios include name slips, ear rings, bangles, clips or even bubblegums.
Once in a while, one of my friend (whose father is in dubai) , brings the foreign chocolate- A small nut covered with chocolate- we get one piece only. This chocolate remains safely till the end of the day ,inorder to take it home - to show it to mother or sister. And then, we share small portion of it! WOW..what a tasty thing! wish we could get more.. The next day, I become more attached to this "rich" friend and ready to write her notes or any help, hoping that she may give more of the same chocolate. How I used to jealously look at the colourful pencil box or the BIG rubber with a brush on its tail or the pencil (which had nibs that could be replaced !) that this girl's dad gave! Hahaha, Its all very interesting memories now!
I got to see many teddy bears and other soft toys of my friends , but got my own only in my 9th standard or so! But this was not that "soft and fluffy" as theirs! How I wished to have my own Barbie doll! but never got one!
I feel nostalgic! I think, we had limited resources when we were young, compared to the lavish resources that we and our children are getting today! There was always this longing- this desire to get the things we want. But for that, I must study, I must get a good job and make money! And I did it.. I always had that burning desire , which get me charged. But I am worried about my children today. Will they have the fire? the burning desire to achieve their needs? Because, they get everything they want today! Will they strive harder? I don't know!
I also feel that my kids are not that happy as I was , as a kid! I feel , despite all the lavish facilities, we are still unhappy sometimes. Moreoever , their happiness is much more costlier affair. My son, who is in the UKG, asking for an LCD TV in his room , so that he can watch pogo before sleeping! (Well, we have asked him to wait for some more months and somehow he stopped crying.)
Gone are the days, when we found happiness in Small things! And as philosophers say, "We all go behind the riches, and after sometime, we find that we lost the real riches of life!- the small happiness!"
How I wish, I could give stronger dreams and happiness to my children!
CeeVee
Sep 2012
