Growing Up

By Kripa

Nostalgia is a seductive liar. Time may fly, but those gifted memories can never be

carried away with the former. Our thoughts and decisions, at times, can also be as "wisely

foolish" as our expectations of becoming bigger soon, during the tender age. The memory

lanes of different people would be different from each other. But, all I can swear, still, is that,

as a proper 90's kid, most of them (who, in fact, have turned into matured "young and smart

adults") will be related to stuffs like their most iconic characters, who were treated as their

role models, back then (imitating their words, deeds, attributes etc.). Old school desi kids

would still remember Shaktimaan as their superhero rather than the so-called batman,

Spiderman, superman, ironman etc. Such was the love and popularity reciprocated for their

protective, lovable and respectable man.

This is just one small example, in a million. The popularity of them all was spread not via any

new-gen social media (where kids actually aim to be more social, and finally ends up being

in 'god knows what'), but by our own major media (which were literally social) called books,

name-slips, word-of-mouth, plays, TV etc. "Connections" was a bigger emotion than mere

contacts, mutual friends, likes or shares.

Time has now reached onto the fingertips of humans, where their phones and

tabs have become their brain and decision maker (trustworthiness level--more than dear and

near people). The beauty of humans and nature has been confined to their phone gallery

and wallpapers. Real people have turned the reel. Yes, even though the world seems to be

'expanding', all I witness is that it's 'contracting' into mindlessness.

During childhood, of course, there were cameras, photo-shoots, fashion, phones

etc.; but they seemed genuine and glowing, because they were used only when necessary,

and not to kill boredom. Also, each time we came in contact with such terms, they gave

genuine and glowing memories as well. Right now, these terminologies still do exist, but in

an overall-changed format.

We, the 90's kids are more blessed, as we have seen a great evolution of all the

above to the newest of range. For example, if it was landlines at first, it got renewed to

cordless and then to base-model B&W Nokia to its colored version, and then to many more

other phone companies providing a variety of mobiles with more and more facilities to

QWERTY keypad phones, camera phones (rear and front view) to more advanced tablets,

iPhone etc. Same is with the changes happening to everything else as well; not discussing

them much, as this is not a technical analysis.

Innumerable applications have been developed for different purposes today. But,

can any of them bring back a lost life? A lost childhood or adulthood? People use them

selfishly, but can't live selflessly. Humanity, once constructed can be destructed; but once

destructed can never be reconstructed. "To attack" has become the motto rather than "to

attach". Just one reason-to move fast in today's competitive world--fair enough, superbly

justified!

On growing up, we were taught to explore more and survive than to just live life.

'Attitude' (which is now shrinked to a single meaning, sadly) should be developed in children,

to survive the prying eyes and judge-mental mind-set of the society, which gives priority to

marks, rank, exams and government jobs rather than life itself. Yes, this is a place where we

got independence officially, decades back and thereby handed it over to our government,

still blaming politicians and again, voting for them. And finally, even those states with high

literacy rates still fight for 'feminism', more for female dominance.

But still, the inner feelings and emotions have not settled down completely. They

still come up, when we couldn't overpower some overachiever this time, and similar other

instances where expectations, demands and promises lead to the biggest of

disappointments.

End note:-I am in high need of a self-introspection, where I should find why and how (Much)

I miss my culture, tradition, family, friends....and finally, my own-self!

By Kripa