The first stars are visible in the sky and it is time to chew the fat about the day that just passed by...
My second childhood!
Posted 6th October 2008 at 09:53 AM by Cheeniya
How right it is to say that old age is second childhood! Let me confess to you that the comic strips in newspapers engage my attention a lot more than the prime news section. After all, there is nothing novel in bomb blasts and the communists trying to deride the nuclear agreement with US. Occasionally, newsmakers like Tehelka may conduct a sting operation but even that is fast losing its glamour. Apart from the comic strips, I glance through the Obituary column to see if any one who shared my bench in the school has kicked the bucket. But I do get totally immersed in the comic strips and the brain twisters like how many words we can squeeze out of some six or seven letters. I even avoid all phone calls during this strictly private moment of mine!
Of the comic strips that I read daily, Hagar the Horrible and Bud Blake’s Tiger are my top favourites. I found Tiger uttering something in today’s piece that is not only funny but quite profound too. In today’s episode, Tiger’s friend Suzy sets up a fortune-telling stall and the business is rather dull. When she laments to Tiger about the tardy business, Tiger says ‘I guess the future isn’t what it used to be’! This, I think, is an outstanding statement. I have seen people getting worried about their life in general and saying the same thing about the present state of affairs but the comment of Tiger set me thinking. Can future be not what it used to be?
About five decades back, my perception of future as a lad of 15 was all about a radio which we could carry wherever we went and machines that would wash my clothes without my having to bash them up against a slanted piece of rock like a demented fellow! I would try to avoid going out on Wednesday nights to stay tuned to Amin Sayani’s Binaca Geeth Mala. When it became imperative that I would have to skip it due to some engagement outside, that was the time when I used to dream of a portable radio. But ask my grandson who is 15 now about what he envisions as future, he’ll talk of short-haul private jets that would carry about six persons at a speed exceeding that of sound which, he hopes, would replace the existing automobiles. When I hear from him what would life be like after five decades, he tells me things that go way above my head!
There is a community called Kottapillamar that lives in a secluded locality in Srivaikuntam in Tamilnadu. The ladies of this community are not allowed to go out of the walled conclave and some of them may not have seen even a train! I often wonder what would be their perception of future. Remember that delightful comedy ‘The Gods must be crazy’ released in 1980. The film opens with a Coke bottle thrown from an aircraft and following that, a lot of crazy things happen because the aborigines of Botswana had never seen a Coke bottle before! Their vision of future would be what we were a century back!
Future is not, therefore, the same for everyone. It changes from time to time and people to people. Tiger’s terse comment that ‘future is not what it used to be’ makes a lot of sense. In fact, the future fluctuates a lot more than the present and the past. We’ll talk about how the past is not what it used to be sometime in the future if you are in a mood for it!
Of the comic strips that I read daily, Hagar the Horrible and Bud Blake’s Tiger are my top favourites. I found Tiger uttering something in today’s piece that is not only funny but quite profound too. In today’s episode, Tiger’s friend Suzy sets up a fortune-telling stall and the business is rather dull. When she laments to Tiger about the tardy business, Tiger says ‘I guess the future isn’t what it used to be’! This, I think, is an outstanding statement. I have seen people getting worried about their life in general and saying the same thing about the present state of affairs but the comment of Tiger set me thinking. Can future be not what it used to be?
About five decades back, my perception of future as a lad of 15 was all about a radio which we could carry wherever we went and machines that would wash my clothes without my having to bash them up against a slanted piece of rock like a demented fellow! I would try to avoid going out on Wednesday nights to stay tuned to Amin Sayani’s Binaca Geeth Mala. When it became imperative that I would have to skip it due to some engagement outside, that was the time when I used to dream of a portable radio. But ask my grandson who is 15 now about what he envisions as future, he’ll talk of short-haul private jets that would carry about six persons at a speed exceeding that of sound which, he hopes, would replace the existing automobiles. When I hear from him what would life be like after five decades, he tells me things that go way above my head!
There is a community called Kottapillamar that lives in a secluded locality in Srivaikuntam in Tamilnadu. The ladies of this community are not allowed to go out of the walled conclave and some of them may not have seen even a train! I often wonder what would be their perception of future. Remember that delightful comedy ‘The Gods must be crazy’ released in 1980. The film opens with a Coke bottle thrown from an aircraft and following that, a lot of crazy things happen because the aborigines of Botswana had never seen a Coke bottle before! Their vision of future would be what we were a century back!
Future is not, therefore, the same for everyone. It changes from time to time and people to people. Tiger’s terse comment that ‘future is not what it used to be’ makes a lot of sense. In fact, the future fluctuates a lot more than the present and the past. We’ll talk about how the past is not what it used to be sometime in the future if you are in a mood for it!
Total Comments 21
Comments
-
Dearest Cheeniya Sir,
That was a profound blog!
At the outset, I must mention that I too am a fan of "Hagar the Horrible"! I haven't read Bud Blake's Tiger. I will see if I can get a hold of it. And yes, the comic section (on Sundays there are 4 full pages of it!) is my favorite one too and the real funny ones I sometimes re-read on Monday mornings just to get an extra laugh or two at the beginning of the work week!
About the future not being what it "used" to be. Wow! I really never thought about it until I read your blog. And now that you have written it, I cannot agree with it more.
Some of the things that I dreamt of as my future, my kids already have those as their present. So yes, their dreams for the future are going to be different and probably more "advanced" than mine.
Apart from that, I also think even the very "nature" of future seems different than what it used to be in the past! Future going into the past?! I am loosing myself in my own words here Sir!
What I mean is, let us take the example of the feeling of being "settled". When I was growing up, being married was still consideres an essential part of being called (and feeling), "settled" in life. I am not sure it is the case for many girls today. They do want to get married. Sure. But the way I see it, not being married is no longer so much associated with the feeling of not being settled.
Will have to think about this more. You have taken my mind on a flight to a land I have never been to before!
Lots of luv,
SSPosted 6th October 2008 at 02:31 PM by SoaringSpirit
-
Dear Sir,
Lovely to see a blog from you in this section after quite a while and as usual a fantastic blog from you. I completely nod in agreement with what Tiger has to say.
Yes the future is so different for each one here.
Amin Sayani is one man who can speak after decades and yet be instantly recognised, no one can beat him to it. His unique style is as unique as it can get.
I agree that this second child hood is pretty enjoyable time , the enthusiasm infectitious. It is said ," Age does not make us childish, It merely finds us children still at heart".
Yes I agree that for each generation the future holds a different interest.
For Mommy it is her spiritual discourses schedule that is running in full swing these days due to navratri, For me its my work and the different ways of expansion , for my daughter it is the whether her favourite meals would be packed for her school.
Yes Sir, I am all game to read about the past, any blog from you is always welcome as always.:))
Love,
Your MolPosted 6th October 2008 at 04:37 PM by Devika Menon
Updated 6th October 2008 at 04:38 PM by Devika Menon -
Dear Sir,
I do agree with you and it is interesting to note that "future" is not what it used to be. I am sure what future was for my grandparents (staying with children in their old age) is not the kind of future my parents anticipated in their old age what with so many kids moving out etc. People and perspectives have changed and not a day passes by when I am not reminded if I really belong to another generation - I am a young mom and I feel this way when I see newly weds and college grads. I can only envision the kind of future my kids might be envisioning.
As far as second childhood, while I do believe that old age is another chance, but as your blog points out it could change and I might have to grow up faster and might not have a chance to be a child again, so I do want to say that I am enjoying this phase with my kids now - looking at the world from their perspective and enjoying life as it should be - with a freshness that only children can show.
Enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks.Posted 6th October 2008 at 08:48 PM by Srama -
Dear Appa,
After a looong time, a blog from you. It was really a treat. I too love these comics on Sunday.... Hagar... is also my favourite and now Deccan Herald is featuring Blondie... Hence it is a must read for me..
Don't tell about Amin Sayani... I am a great fan of his.. who can forget Binaca geet mala and sayani saab... Both were made for each other.. Thanks to those days no TV, hece we could hear to our heart's content all the beautiful songs of yester year melodies... these are still my favourites.
When we were young, having a radio itself was a prize possession and mydad never used to allow us to touch that... nowadays kis are born literally with a mobile and a laptop.They are sooo fast in learning these, my dd is the Guru for your friend i.e. my DH, as he fumbles with the new version of Nokia mobile.Posted 7th October 2008 at 01:58 AM by Lalitha Shivaguru -
Dear Cheeniya Sir,
What a thought provoking blog in your own inimitable style! You took me down memory lane too when you talked about the dreams of the future in the past! I was an Amin Sayani fan too- Binaca Geet Mala on wednesdays! Can we ever forget it?Some times the power used to go off between 8-9 pm and I used to feel miserable for having to miss Amin Bhai's unique voice! Now we are into a fast paced world where new inventions are happening by the hour! Big bang recreated in a laboratory!As Stephen Hawking had written a book-'Going back in Time' ( Have I correctly named it? Though I read a lot of books I forget the title!) there may be some scientist who would take us into the future in the present!
Great Blog!
Love,
MalathiPosted 7th October 2008 at 02:04 AM by Malathijagan
