Kids

Kids

Rakesh, my neighbour and good friend's Son, is working with a good Company and he is in charge of managing portfolios of clients,and they buy shares for the customers.Rakesh was sitting with me for a few hours today, and explaining to me the nitty gritty of the stock markets and mutual funds, of which i have no knowledge at all.I am zero in all these matters.


In Sept 06 he made me invest a small sum in two mutual funds,and I was telling him I dont beleive in all these, but he said do it for me Uncle, and i told him ,OK, here is this X amount, and u put in whatever u like, just to oblige him, and he being a son of my good friend.Today we checked the returns, and they are a mind boggling 40 % in 13 months, which i am going to redeem tomorrow.I was sure i was going to lose money, but i was proved wrong by this young man.


He was born 15 days before my elder daughter,and i could hear him bawling all the night.Seems he had a voracious appetite, and was not getting enough, so says his mother.And he used to scream so loud,a few times at night we used to wake up and wonder if the kid is all right, and should we go and find out if they need any help or medicine.!


And today this kid,Rakesh, teaches me about money,and he taught me so many lessons today.About future investments,IPO's in which i have never invested ever before,and hes advised me not to invest in MF now, as the market is very volatile,and we wait a while for a good correction to come.And looking at him in amazement, i wonder , if this tall lean handsome Rakesh is that crazy kid bawling his lungs out every single night, driving away even would be theives.How kids grow up,today i saw and realised it.I also reminded him of the many times he has peed on my clothes,and the poor guy was just embarassed.



I also wonder about Teachers,who have kindergarden kids in front of them, some who cant hold themselves,and have to be changed in school at times.The teacher does not know, that this fellow may one day become a Narayan Murthy, a Laxmi Mittal,Nilekan,or any of the first generation industralist.We are not talking of Doon Schools, we are talking of ordinary Convent Schools,where middle class parents send their children.



Mittal's teacher will remain a teacher,and retire with apension, and the kid of his class may go on to be like a Mittal, being counted as one of the world's top 10 richest kid,who may become more smarter,taller and richer than him at some time in the future.But one thing is for sure,the student will always touch the feet of the teacher,if and when they meet,because he will always be a kid for the teacher.Life is so ironic,I feel,but it is true.The old has to give way to the new.



Same is the case of the parent.For him however rich and famous their child becomes,he or she will always remain a child.And when that child illtreats the parents, or forces them to an old age home,and hardly bothers to visit them,or find out how they are doing,what must go through the hearts of the parents.A living hell, every minute of their existance a torture,memories flooding in of the child, his birth,the first day of school how he yelled not be left alone,and the mother telling him i will be back in the afternoon to pick u up, and how the child is relived when themother comes topick up the child,and give him a choclate or an iceream,the look of joy on the child's face, and the parents in the old age home will repeatedly tell everyone who cares to listen, all those stories,but every inmate has the same story to tell too.



Sorry to go offtrack,I meant to write about how smart our kids become, they grow before our eyes, and today they teach us a thing or two of finance, and other technical jargon of which we know nothing about.My daughter Sita, sits with me every night, she is preparing for her CAT, and keeps asking me phrases and their meanings, and now she tests my knowledge.Like she will ask me about a phrase BITING THE BULLET, and I answer her correctly and she says papa i did notknow u knew that.I tell her, do u think i am a dumbo or what ! Then she will stump me with the next one,and now it is her turn to smile.I love this cat and mouse game.God knows how long she will be with us,and this is what i will miss themost, the conversations, the company,the eating of pizzas together, her scolding me not to eat too many calories,that i should look smart.Smart for whom i ask her?Do u want me to be attractive to other pretty females ? The way i am, other females dont bother to look at me even once, and that keeps me away from temptation, and it is better for me, and my wife.I am treasuring every moment of my time with her, bcs after she is married, just me and wife,and it sure looks lonely from out here.



That is why i am happy also with a few good and bad habits taht i have,one is blogging, playing cards, reading, watching cricket, which will keep me busy when we are all alone, and this is a reality i have to ignore at my own peril.



Those who held our hand for support,we may need theirs a few years down the line.That is why i want to be like Khuswant Singh, living on his own terms, with his brains intact,and I hope i will continue to blog right till the end,this gives me an opportunity tio match my brains with some of the best in this business, and force me to be alert, and write somethign worthwhile.That is until u guys tolerate me,or throw me out.Amen !


KAMAL MAHTANI

hello


thats a nice write up
called the generation gap
or what else....?

the generation in the fiftees
spread hands both ways
to look to kids growing up
and to grown ups staying home
thats a difficult balance....
with their own demanding ambitions..

at the farthest end either way....
both are toothless grins
both demand attention
cry at the slightest pretext
they take whatever is said personally
easy to please even with an icecream or hug
if only you would talk with them for a while....
and what about stories...
while the little one is in awe of animal stories
the other is in awe of stories of himself or herself.
they expect you to surprise them on birthdays...or ...
with a tiny loving gift....and ofcourse a hug...
maybe im off topic?
mmmm....


sathya

Satya,

True. you are not off track, dont worry.Yes i agree it is a generation gap for sure.Thanks for the lovely comments Satya.Regards.kamal

Dear Kamalji,

A pensive essay! Your thoughts reflect those of every parent who are reaching that 'retired' status ! Though the title and musings are about 'kids', when one reaches the second half of the century (!!), it will always relate that kid to the age of the parent...!
What the little kid will achieve as an adult is anybody's guess. What we, as parents, achieve through our kids is surely the musings..sure to pop up sooner or later in our later years !
I enjoyed Sathya's poem just as much as your essay.

L, Kamla

Kamla,

Yes so true Kamal.I have crossed the first 50 years, and now into the second one.Thanks for yr kind comments.Satya's comments were damn good, as were yours.Regards.kamal

Dear Kamlji,
That was an wonderful writeup. And it is 100% true that today's kids are more smart enough that they reach heights so young in age. I have best examples in my home and in our family.

At times they become Thagappan Swami (it is another name for lord Muruga in Tamil; he was called so as he taught the meaning of the Pranava Mantra Om). Todays kids are just so.

Dear Kamal Sir,

Your write up was good and true about current generation. They are more smart, intelligent (of course, they should be in this competitive world), they know what they want and i was also fascinated same way like you when my younger sisters friend was talking about MF's , shares, IPO's etc. I am talking about the way in which they talk, confident, smart, clear explanation,.....

After seeing this forum, i also decided that when i grow old, i will be spending my time writing comments ( cannot write like you and other writers in this forum) and keep me occupied.

We should just do our duty, thats it and todays generation we shouldnt expect and remember dont worry your daughter is always your daughter no matter what she is and will become. Son or daughter are all the same. I am not complaining, i am saying it is good and equal to boys or even more in studying, jobs, earning etc

All the best for your daughter for her exams.

Bala

Rajmi,

Yes , like me, u too get surprised at how the small kid of yest has become so smart today.God bless them really.

Thanks and regards.kamal


Bala,

You a sindhi? I guess bcs of yr surname Motwani.Thanks for yr good wishes to my daughter.And u should write more.Dont worry abiout good or bad writing.Look at me.I never wrote before.I mainly write personal experiences, or whatever comes to my mind.My English is So So, nothing great.So come and write whatever comes to yr mind.Dont be tense and dont compare yrself to anybody.You are an individual, and u are unique.

Thanks and regards.kamal

Dear Kamalji, Wonderful write up about the growth of kids. Yes we feel that the kids grow very fast these days. I too felt the same way when i saw my daughter today morning. The child who was lying by our side as a small infant has grown up into a female so tall as ourself. They know so many things and teach us also a plenty. THe exposure these days is such and it is very nice to see the children growing up. Interesting article.

Sujata,

Yes u must be wondering how this daughter of mine who was a baby once, has become so big, and smart.

Yesterday we were gouing for a party, and my younger daughter drove the car, and i was wondering the same.

They are like birds, we have to set them free to soar the skies.Thanks and regards.kamal