Being a parent is a wonderful feeling – one that gives us a
chance to take a trip down our unforgettable childhood all over again. Reliving
one’s childhood memories and nuances with one’s baby can be immensely joyful
and thrilling!
As a new mom, I love every single moment that I get to spend
with my baby. Watching him grow and evolve is a feeling that is beyond words.
Perhaps, it’s the most gratifying experience that I’ve ever had. As I witness
my year old baby boy grow, explore and experience things in a world that is
replete with technology, internet and everything ready-made and super-quick, I
am often reminded of my own childhood back in the 1990s which might not have
been immensely technocratic, fast-paced or spent in the lap of uber luxury, but
it was certainly worth remembering through a lifetime.
I am sure all parents, moms and dads alike, who spent their
childhood during the 1990s would agree that ours was an era of satisfying
complacency, steeped in traditional homely values and spent among the protected
four-walls of trustworthy peers, neighbours and acquaintances who brought us up
like flowers in a garden. We may not have been bestowed upon with an individual
tablet or ipad each, might not have been stuffed with the most updated burgers
or tacos every second day, may not have been to the coolest foreign
destinations on the face of this earth every summer or might not have had our
personal Facebook, Snapchat or Whatsapp accounts, but we were definitely way
ahead of the current generation when it came to being knowledgeable,
utilitarian or worldly-wise. Not to forget, we were definitely more complacent
and gratified when it came to possessions, rewards or demands and enjoyed a
blissful childhood brimming over with innocence, experiences and love in its
purest form.
I am sure that the children born in the current era are
definitely smarter, confident and much more articulate than we were but I just
wish that in a world that is constantly battling with the perils of
consumerism, hoarding and flamboyance, there could be some respite. When I see
children of today decked up in their flashy G.A.P and U.C.B outfits, sipping
out water from their expensive Chiccos and MeeMee tumblers and holding
ostentatious learning tablets or Augmented Reality toys in their hands, I often
look at them with pity and wish they could enjoy the pangs of undiluted fun and
merriment that we had through small, pocket-friendly or sometimes even free
things and opportunities.
Some of the most
prominent features of my childhood that I wish I could share with the children
of today would be the following in no particular order:
Ø
Painting and repainting our
difficult-to-maintain but adorable white
Batas. I remember spending many a Friday evenings trying to make them look
spotless white the next day.
Ø
When Ladki ki Kaathi used to be our
childhood anthem and no Annual Function would be complete without at least one
class dancing on it to its fullest while the parents joined in as the
supporting chorus.
Ø
When rainy days were reason enough to quickly
tear away the last page of our school notebooks and create paper-boats. There used to be very many adept boat makers in every
class and they would happily demonstrate their adroitness to the eager amateurs
like me.
Ø
Much before Annabelle entered the world of
horror and sent shiver down young spines, we had our very own desi bone-chilling versions in the form
of Aahat
and Zee
Horror Show episodes that were absolutely not to be missed and
painstakingly watched hiding under a duvet each week. Who cared about the
reeling after-effects though? I spent many a Saturday nights sleeping clutched
to my Mom’s bosoms unable to get over the intensely frightening scenes that I
would dare to watch week after week.
Ø
Much before Taarak Mehta and Bhabhi Ji forayed
into our lives, we had our uber cool uncle and aunty icons in the form of the
cast-and-crew members of Shriman-Shrimati and Hum
Paanch. Yes, we loved singing out loud while opening the doors because
we wanted to look as cool as Sweety!
Ø
When we devoured packets of Lays and Cheetos not for their taste, but for their free tazos.
Ø
Our first brush with tattoos din’t take place in
a high-end tattoo-artist’s den but through our 1 Rupee Big Babol that tagged along a free
tattoo with every purchase. Kids would blow up their entire earnings accrued
on Kanjaks
on these tattoos way back then.
Ø
Kanjanks meant VIP treatment at the
neighbour’s house with respected Uncle Ji washing our feet with water followed
by the application of dark pink paints (alta) while Aunty Ji served us with delicious
food that had a carefully folded 10
rupee note placed on top of the halwa over an expertly puffed poori.
Ø
The only television ad that made sense and
enticed us was Washing Powder Nirma, Nirma! We bet one could never remember it
without singing it out loud involuntarily.
Ø
We din’t have to look for youth icons in Justin
Bieber or Lady Gaga, we had our very own Utterly
Butterly Delicious Amul Girl to guide us through the way. Who din’t want to
have that cutesy high ponytail and polka-dotted frock and roam around for
compliments?
Ø
For quenching one’s thirst, one din’t had to
open cans of Pepsi or Mountain Dew, we had our all-times favourites that
included Frooti, Rasna, Jumpin and
the sada-bahaar
Rooh Afza. Nothing aerated, just pure fun!
Ø
Who knew about Halooween’s back then? We enjoyed
our Fancy Dress Shows and rocked them like a pro. Be it a doctor, teacher, tree, fairy, Shatkimaan, Chandrakaanta or Cindrella – we’ve been there and done
it all! Some of us even dressed as Madhuri Dixit, Indira Gandhi and Gangu Bai.
We were spoilt for choices back then.
Ø
Most of us lost our hearts to Suppandi
as the most favourite cartoon character. The Doremon, Pinnochio and Pokemon
came much later on the scene. Suppandi was and shall always remain
a legend!
Ø
We din’t need Facebook or Instagram to know our
friends better. We had our very own powerful tools called Slam Books that laid bare everything down to basics. We made many a
trips to the nearest Archies or Hallmark Store and always kept our
collection updated.
Ø
Packing a school bag meant spending at least 10
minutes filling and re-filling our dearmost ink or fountain pens with signature
camel blue ink and painting our fingers indigo blue. Interestingly, the ink
always found its way to our faces and school uniforms much to our ignorance and
amusement.
Din’t you just go through an overwhelming pang of nostalgia
remembering all these wonderful nuances of your childhood? Tag a friend and
remind them of the wonderful childhood that you were undoubtedly blessed, to be
a part of.
Seriously mohita. How wonderful our childhood was. And today child's world is only limited to their mobile phones and presevative food beverages. They can never enjoy the way we did.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a lovely post! Well-written, heartwarming and so creative.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such an informative blog