One of the cherubic advantage of having a South Indian nativity and growing up in Bangalore is that you age with a variety of people from all walks of life and are introduced to a plethora of concepts that makes you broad minded naturally. Well not all, but mostly, yes.
Growing up in an environment that included friends from around the country and the world makes things so much simpler and yet complicated.
Visiting the Church on Sundays with your neighbors or making a trip to the 'dargah' when you are terribly sick was a much coveted journey in spite of hailing from a Hindu Brahmin family.
It didn't matter who scored how much or who was earning in the 5/6/7/8 digit numbers. It JUST didn't matter. All that mattered was being good and supportive. But decadence is yet to prevail. The only times that people now talk to each other are to enlighten themselves with what the neighbor's child has scored or how much they earn (preferrably less than their own). That is the only deplorable reason to communicate. Again, not all, but mostly.
Saturdays and Sundays meant a trip to the Ice cream parlor no matter if the weather gods were showering Bangalore with the lashing rains or it was too cold to step out or the febrile heat was making you cranky. Belonging to a City of Gardens and lakes brought in exhilaration. All the cousins and neighbors would plan and plot things and missing out on the Train ride in Cubbon Park was considered to be a huge sin.
Childhood is one phase in which everything goes systematically. As mentioned earlier, hailing from a Hindu Brahmin family was directly proportional to learning your prayers, learning music/dance and huge get together(s) during the weekends. I personally feel being a first child is always overwhelming. You experience happiness, happiness and endless happiness.
Don't agree with me? Well, I'll tell you the reason behind the denial. It is just that, as we grow up, happiness changes in depths and heights and is given a whole new definition, an aloof and impassable definition that is left unattainable in the coming years.
This happens because as we grow up, all we do is try to impress and satisfy others, which is inevitable. Even Mother Teresa might have had people who spoke ill of her or were unhappy with her. It is stupidity to abolish your own desires for others, for the truth is that somebody will always have to disagree with you. One of the trivial aphorisms my generation owes to Wilhelm Busch's 'Pious Helene' is the homily, "Once your reputation's done, you can live a life of fun".
Follow what WB said. Stop surviving. Start living.
And guess what? The monsoons are here.Monsoons imply a lot to write about. Watch out this space for more.
Growing up in an environment that included friends from around the country and the world makes things so much simpler and yet complicated.
Visiting the Church on Sundays with your neighbors or making a trip to the 'dargah' when you are terribly sick was a much coveted journey in spite of hailing from a Hindu Brahmin family.
It didn't matter who scored how much or who was earning in the 5/6/7/8 digit numbers. It JUST didn't matter. All that mattered was being good and supportive. But decadence is yet to prevail. The only times that people now talk to each other are to enlighten themselves with what the neighbor's child has scored or how much they earn (preferrably less than their own). That is the only deplorable reason to communicate. Again, not all, but mostly.
Saturdays and Sundays meant a trip to the Ice cream parlor no matter if the weather gods were showering Bangalore with the lashing rains or it was too cold to step out or the febrile heat was making you cranky. Belonging to a City of Gardens and lakes brought in exhilaration. All the cousins and neighbors would plan and plot things and missing out on the Train ride in Cubbon Park was considered to be a huge sin.
Don't agree with me? Well, I'll tell you the reason behind the denial. It is just that, as we grow up, happiness changes in depths and heights and is given a whole new definition, an aloof and impassable definition that is left unattainable in the coming years.
This happens because as we grow up, all we do is try to impress and satisfy others, which is inevitable. Even Mother Teresa might have had people who spoke ill of her or were unhappy with her. It is stupidity to abolish your own desires for others, for the truth is that somebody will always have to disagree with you. One of the trivial aphorisms my generation owes to Wilhelm Busch's 'Pious Helene' is the homily, "Once your reputation's done, you can live a life of fun".
Follow what WB said. Stop surviving. Start living.
And guess what? The monsoons are here.Monsoons imply a lot to write about. Watch out this space for more.
