Childhood is like a charm that fades away gradually, leaving
us pining for the things we did as children, or places we lived in. We long for
the protected and sheltered life, when we did not have a care in the world. We
as a generation are trying to bridge the gap between the competitive and
technology crazy life we have today, and the childhood we had, devoid of
gadgets and not so intensely complicated. May be we are both blessed and
cursed. We have lived the good life so to say. Where we had the undivided
attention from our families and led less hectic lives than today’s kids do.
But as Bob Dylan sang, “The Times They Are A-Changing”, and we
feel kids today are missing out on so much. The thought is of course mutual,
where they see us trying to get the hang of devices they so easily operate as
toddlers. This is normal for them, because they have not seen anything
different, and such is the story of every generation, the circle of life if you
may call it so.
I grew up in a very pretty hill station in the 80’s, and
life moved at a very comfortable pace. Except for school and office goers, no
one seemed in any hurry. And we walked to school. My father walked to office,
we walked to visit acquaintances, and we walked when we went shopping. We never
had or felt the need to own a vehicle. Public transport was cheap and
comfortable, so any occasional journey that could not be taken on foot would be
in a public bus or a shared cab. On our way back from school, our mothers who came
to pick us up would chat with their friends, and we would hop, skip and jump all
the way with our classmates, giggling and plucking wild flowers and berries.
When it would rain, and it rained a lot (as we were in the region with the
heaviest rainfall in the world), we clamored under our little umbrellas and
walked as fast as we could, but got drenched anyway. Sometimes we had to carry
our school shoes in our bag to avoid them getting wet, and walk to school in
slippers. Although it was difficult treading the mossy and slippery roads in
the rain, it was utmost fun.
I could go on and on in my soliloquy; so let me pause here
and mention that this is what I feel children of today miss – the walks. The
walk and all the pleasures associated with it. They have the comfort of a car or
two-wheeler to take them everywhere. They hardly see any scenery, or get
drenched in the rain. They don’t go anywhere on their own, because of safety
reasons. They become couch potatoes and gain unhealthy weight. They suffer from
image issues and other complexes.
So is it really a better world they have inherited?
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