Simple Pleasures

I recently read an article in the TOI regarding the very easily available sexually explicit material for youngsters and the "pornification of society" (I'm not making this up, those were the very words used). Reading about how pre-teens are using, rather, abusing the internet made me wonder about my school days and my life as a pre-teen. Forget the internet, I never had time enough to play outside.

My early life was a truly spectacular one considering the positive impact it has had on me as a person. Those were days when a simple one rupee lollipop could keep me engrossed and smiling the whole day. Growing up was even more fun with so many interesting things to build and destroy using toy bricks. I was made to eat healthy home-food on days when I was hell bent on eating outside thus making a rare visit to a hotel a truly satisfying experience. A 5 rupee MTR softee would make a day and time spent playing in the park, an amazing time. A few years down the road, cricket entered my life and representing my club was a matter of great pride. A half century lifted one to the status of a demi-God and a century took one all the way up Mount Olympus, onto the lap of Zeus Himself.

School was an entirely different story, but almost same in essence. There were friendships, fights, competitions, speeches, and first time experiences with crushes, that was the limit of sexuality.

The other day I was talking to a teacher of mine who taught us in school. She now teaches in Brigade School, clearly the school for the creamy layer. I was shocked to find that their lunchboxes contained spaghetti(still don't know what that is, but definite that it can never beat good old masala dosa) and pizza and their summer vacations were trips to Europe and other such countries. Their pocket money was in thousands and none of their mobile phones a cent below 20k. I seriously believe that we have to pity such children.
What excitement will they have in their lives? We all have certain goals in our life and all the goals aim at bettering our positions in life, monetarily, aesthetically and philosophically. When you already have the best of everything, what further improvement can happen in your life. The journey of life ought to start with nothing and end with everything. It is the journey that counts and perhaps not the end result. It is the journey that is exhilarating. It is the journey that moulds your character. But what journey can you make if you already have the end result? that too without even realizing its worth?

Most of today's problems with the youth taking up vices like smoking and drugs is an offshoot of the lack of a firm grounding and moral values that ought to be taught at home. If I am given a 100 rupee note, when all I needed was a hug of comfort from my parents, I would also end up like that. The misguided sense of love by many parents in willingly encouraging their children in their misbehaviors is truly tearing the delicate social fabric apart. A sense of superiority which is instilled in the minds of young children from a young age will definitely see them becoming arrogant later in life.
Extra money in hands of young children will obviously result in them misusing it, especially with the internet at everybody's fingertips. What is the need for a child of 10 to sit at home and surf the internet when he can be playing outside. Why should a child of 10 worry about looks and comfort when he/she ought to be rolling about in the mud having the time of their lives getting dirty. When will they ever know of the fun in falling and getting hurt and wearing the scar proudly for a long time? When can completing a scenario in Warcraft ever substitute jumping on muddy puddles after rain and later getting yelled at by parents? When can they truly experience the fun there is to be had in drinking tap water if they have been drinking mineral water all their lives?

Pray for the days of old to come back. Pray for days when children do not need PSP s to take the place of good old Cadbury Eclairs. Pray for the days of Simple Pleasures