The Good Old Life
Don't get me wrong. I love the new world, the new life. I love how easy technology has made lives, i love the life of the new empowered young Indian in the big city, i love the malls, the coffee shops, the halter tops, slinky dresses, Sex and the city, mp3 music... everything.
But life has changed from when I was a kid. And how ! I miss the simplicity, I miss living life and not race as today. I miss writing on a paper, playing in the garden, sitting on the terrace.
So many times I feel that we were the last generation who enjoyed life. Maybe it is because i miss my childhood... maybe its the fact that I am back home after two years and most of my day is spent thinking about the past and the future.
Look at simple things around us. How many of you, living in the big towns have seen a crow in the last few years. Seriously, just a crow...or even a sparrow. I don't remember seeing one in the nine years in Noida. Don't think Ive seen a crow even on the 200 acres of IIM Lucknow campus. Strange? I seem to think so. Think of it...the simple story of the thirsty crow might just be lost on the next generation...no crows to show em.
I miss the lazy life of a small town. The winter sunday morning ritual of tel-maalish, boot polish and the sitting with whole stalk of sugarcane..with a tub in front of everyone. Mom in the background mumbling that my dad and I are the dirtiest people, not bathing till late morning. :)
The amount of enthusiasm generated with Chitrahaar becoming biweekly can never be compared with channel surfing through 200 channels, not watching even one.
Right now, I am sitting in my balcony, writing this during a long power cut. My phone is playing the radio - classical music @ 102.6 FM. Quite nice, i must add. Yes, i quite know that this is possible only through the technology which exists today. But its also true, that sometimes [just sometimes] I miss the long 20 hour power cuts of the old days. With no inverters and generator populating every home, dinner and walks used to become communal. Entire colonies out to talk and sing songs or play till the power was restored. So many nights were spent sleeping under the stars or playing antakshri with didi or talking life et al with dad or mom telling me stories. Ah, the awesome excuse not to do my homework, sometimes, even the teachers bought it :D
I miss waiting for the monthly Nandan [A HT Hindi magazine for kids] and Nanhe Samrat, finishing em the day the newspaper boy delivered them..and the rereading everything till the month got over.
Life has become easier, what with everything packed and ready to eat.What to say of the next generation, when I know of so many peers who have never known what fun it is watch your mom slice potatoes and help her spread them over a thin muslin cloth on the terrace to make those brilliant homemade chips. Or the many winter nights spent huddled close to the angithi where mom would be make ketchup. Oh what wouldn't I give up to taste those mathris and gujias and namkeens and kanji and panna made at home, before the readymade revolution hit.
With our own generation lost touch with so much good of our childhood, it pains me sometime to think that the next generation would never know of all this fun. Chacha Chawdhary will get lost in the midst of Power Rangers and Pokemon, Makke ki roti with
shakkar replaced by a McChicken [sorry for the cliche]. It is quite easy to believe that we can never be as good homemakers as our moms. Sleeping on the terrace under the soft breeze of the pipal tree, just a memory now.
Its not like I am someone old fashioned and does not feel comfortable with the fast life of today. I am very much at ease eating at the latest mexican joint in the city or recounting the flavour of Oreos. Count me in everytime you throw a i-got-my-new-tech-toy-come-see-it party. But what saddens me is that how easily we just discard what was precious about our lives for the new. I find it unpalatable that we cannot enjoy the new with the old. Noone stops you from spending a Sunday afternoon with a few papers and crayons and drawing a crooked mango[was it just me, or did everyone have problems getting the damn thing just perfect?]
Sometimes, just sometimes, maybe it will be wise to revisit the Good Old Life.
But life has changed from when I was a kid. And how ! I miss the simplicity, I miss living life and not race as today. I miss writing on a paper, playing in the garden, sitting on the terrace.
So many times I feel that we were the last generation who enjoyed life. Maybe it is because i miss my childhood... maybe its the fact that I am back home after two years and most of my day is spent thinking about the past and the future.
Look at simple things around us. How many of you, living in the big towns have seen a crow in the last few years. Seriously, just a crow...or even a sparrow. I don't remember seeing one in the nine years in Noida. Don't think Ive seen a crow even on the 200 acres of IIM Lucknow campus. Strange? I seem to think so. Think of it...the simple story of the thirsty crow might just be lost on the next generation...no crows to show em.
I miss the lazy life of a small town. The winter sunday morning ritual of tel-maalish, boot polish and the sitting with whole stalk of sugarcane..with a tub in front of everyone. Mom in the background mumbling that my dad and I are the dirtiest people, not bathing till late morning. :)
The amount of enthusiasm generated with Chitrahaar becoming biweekly can never be compared with channel surfing through 200 channels, not watching even one.
Right now, I am sitting in my balcony, writing this during a long power cut. My phone is playing the radio - classical music @ 102.6 FM. Quite nice, i must add. Yes, i quite know that this is possible only through the technology which exists today. But its also true, that sometimes [just sometimes] I miss the long 20 hour power cuts of the old days. With no inverters and generator populating every home, dinner and walks used to become communal. Entire colonies out to talk and sing songs or play till the power was restored. So many nights were spent sleeping under the stars or playing antakshri with didi or talking life et al with dad or mom telling me stories. Ah, the awesome excuse not to do my homework, sometimes, even the teachers bought it :D
I miss waiting for the monthly Nandan [A HT Hindi magazine for kids] and Nanhe Samrat, finishing em the day the newspaper boy delivered them..and the rereading everything till the month got over.
Life has become easier, what with everything packed and ready to eat.What to say of the next generation, when I know of so many peers who have never known what fun it is watch your mom slice potatoes and help her spread them over a thin muslin cloth on the terrace to make those brilliant homemade chips. Or the many winter nights spent huddled close to the angithi where mom would be make ketchup. Oh what wouldn't I give up to taste those mathris and gujias and namkeens and kanji and panna made at home, before the readymade revolution hit.
With our own generation lost touch with so much good of our childhood, it pains me sometime to think that the next generation would never know of all this fun. Chacha Chawdhary will get lost in the midst of Power Rangers and Pokemon, Makke ki roti with
shakkar replaced by a McChicken [sorry for the cliche]. It is quite easy to believe that we can never be as good homemakers as our moms. Sleeping on the terrace under the soft breeze of the pipal tree, just a memory now.Its not like I am someone old fashioned and does not feel comfortable with the fast life of today. I am very much at ease eating at the latest mexican joint in the city or recounting the flavour of Oreos. Count me in everytime you throw a i-got-my-new-tech-toy-come-see-it party. But what saddens me is that how easily we just discard what was precious about our lives for the new. I find it unpalatable that we cannot enjoy the new with the old. Noone stops you from spending a Sunday afternoon with a few papers and crayons and drawing a crooked mango[was it just me, or did everyone have problems getting the damn thing just perfect?]
Sometimes, just sometimes, maybe it will be wise to revisit the Good Old Life.
posted by Incredibly Indian @ 10:02 AM
Comments: 0
