THE BUD BLOOMS

Hi friends,

Walking is the best exercise. It relaxes the muscles and helps the joints to rejuvenate. I daily go walking for 30 minutes both in the morning and evening. During the walking, the air is fresh, the mind is free and I think about writing articles. I observe what is happening around me.

A writer must first think about his reader. What would they love to read? Next comes how to create a captivating content that will lure the readers to read through the entire article. Finally, the title plays a major role. Apart from all these, he should be able to call a spade a spade.

While walking, I saw a young lady mercilessly dragging her 3-year-old boy to the school. The boy was crying aloud and resisting her pull. I felt sorry for the boy. Finally, the lady was successful in handing over the boy to the security. Who knows what the boy may become a scientist one day.

My memories went back. You now send your child to school at the age of 2 or 3. You have Nursery, pre-KG, LKG, UKG, etc. The situation back in 1950 was different.  Only when I was 5, I was admitted in 1st standard. I did not carry loads of books on my back. I took only a slate and chalk pencil. 

There were no notebooks, books, lead pencil,  pen, eraser, water bottle, shoe/socks, uniform, tiffin-box, etc. There was one teacher for English, Tamil, and Maths. There was only one class per standard and one teacher controlled  2-3 classes. The teacher wrote on the blackboard, which we re-wrote on the slate. 

I finished walking and returned home. I sat on the lawn and after a few minutes, my wife gave me a cup of buttermilk. I saw the lady in the opposite house feeding her child and getting it ready for the school. It is in the LKG class. She was motivating her child in sweet words about going to school.

After ten minutes, I saw her dragging her child on the road without sympathy or minding her cries. She was also carrying a heavy load of books on her shoulders. She is about 30. About 25 years back her father also used to take her to the school forcibly in the same manner.

Life is just like a cycle. What happened earlier comes back again to complete the cycle. I only sympathize with the kids who have to go to school at the tender age. I wonder one day someone may even invent a device that will give learning skills to the baby in the womb and to write tests on its birth.