Childhood
Childhood is very different these days. The kind of things kids do and the activities they take part in and the kind of games they play are different from what it was a couple of decades ago. For a person like me who spent childhood nearly four decades ago , the difference is much more.
The village atmosphere was charming and being in Kerala, it was verdant as well. I hardly had any toys. The only toy I remember is a red bus made of wood. I used to follow my grandma to the cowshed and the shed where firewood was stacked. I also spent time with her in the vegetable garden patch. Grandma always kept an eye on me when cucumber started sprouting. I used to pluck and eat the tender cucumber and grandma used to scold me. I had the uneviable task of carrying home ashgourd which had a pungent smell. I used to wrap it in a piece of plantain leaf and used to hold it as far away from me as possible.
I used to run all over the place in the evening with my friends. We used to play with an improvised ball made by wrapping coconut palm leaf around some round object like the young one of a coconut. Most of us learnt swimming at a tender age and we used to play catching game in the temple tank. We all used to gather at the temple tank at an appointed time. We used to get hurt once in a way by banging against the steps of the pond or by colliding under water with others playing with us. We never pointed out such incidents to our elders for fear of being not allowed to play in water.
Rains used to start at full swing towards last week of May and schools used to reopen in the first week of June. Water used to flow a foot deep along the walkways and small fish used swim all over the place. We used to kick these fish out of water. They used to leap up and down on the wet sand either managing to slide back to the flowing water or dropping dead after a bit of a struggle. We used to make improvised water wheels with the help of elders and made them spin in the fast flowing water in the walkways. Since there were no gutters or garbage in the village, the water flowing used to be crystal clear. Our books used to be shapeless within a couple of weeks of commencement of school as they often used to get wet. It used to be fun watching the spray arising from the tiled roofs of houses in the neighbourhood during heavy downpours. Since the soil was sandy, the water used to drain off quickly after the rains stopped. We were prevented from writing on the fine spray of water on floor brought about by heavy rain as there was a superstitious belief that it would cause harm to the family. We tend to say that a person who does not fulfill his promise is writing his promise on water. But then we could do it as kids !
The kids these days have far more exposure to different things. They are definitely more knowlegeable and articulate than I and my friends were during our childhood. But the variety of things we did were tremendous.We used to chase ten day old calf, used to be chased by the mother cow and used to eat the pods of the cashewnut sprouting from the ground after heavy rains.
The kids do not play with gay abandon these days. Even games are devised or played with an eye on the future analysing which skills these games would help to develop.
Given a choice, I would prefer the childhood I had four decades ago and the not what one gets to see these days. Change is the only thing that is constant. We have to move with times. My kids have to be like others as they would be competing in the current scenario. I am not standing in their way. I am always encouraging them.
The village atmosphere was charming and being in Kerala, it was verdant as well. I hardly had any toys. The only toy I remember is a red bus made of wood. I used to follow my grandma to the cowshed and the shed where firewood was stacked. I also spent time with her in the vegetable garden patch. Grandma always kept an eye on me when cucumber started sprouting. I used to pluck and eat the tender cucumber and grandma used to scold me. I had the uneviable task of carrying home ashgourd which had a pungent smell. I used to wrap it in a piece of plantain leaf and used to hold it as far away from me as possible.
I used to run all over the place in the evening with my friends. We used to play with an improvised ball made by wrapping coconut palm leaf around some round object like the young one of a coconut. Most of us learnt swimming at a tender age and we used to play catching game in the temple tank. We all used to gather at the temple tank at an appointed time. We used to get hurt once in a way by banging against the steps of the pond or by colliding under water with others playing with us. We never pointed out such incidents to our elders for fear of being not allowed to play in water.
Rains used to start at full swing towards last week of May and schools used to reopen in the first week of June. Water used to flow a foot deep along the walkways and small fish used swim all over the place. We used to kick these fish out of water. They used to leap up and down on the wet sand either managing to slide back to the flowing water or dropping dead after a bit of a struggle. We used to make improvised water wheels with the help of elders and made them spin in the fast flowing water in the walkways. Since there were no gutters or garbage in the village, the water flowing used to be crystal clear. Our books used to be shapeless within a couple of weeks of commencement of school as they often used to get wet. It used to be fun watching the spray arising from the tiled roofs of houses in the neighbourhood during heavy downpours. Since the soil was sandy, the water used to drain off quickly after the rains stopped. We were prevented from writing on the fine spray of water on floor brought about by heavy rain as there was a superstitious belief that it would cause harm to the family. We tend to say that a person who does not fulfill his promise is writing his promise on water. But then we could do it as kids !
The kids these days have far more exposure to different things. They are definitely more knowlegeable and articulate than I and my friends were during our childhood. But the variety of things we did were tremendous.We used to chase ten day old calf, used to be chased by the mother cow and used to eat the pods of the cashewnut sprouting from the ground after heavy rains.
The kids do not play with gay abandon these days. Even games are devised or played with an eye on the future analysing which skills these games would help to develop.
Given a choice, I would prefer the childhood I had four decades ago and the not what one gets to see these days. Change is the only thing that is constant. We have to move with times. My kids have to be like others as they would be competing in the current scenario. I am not standing in their way. I am always encouraging them.
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