I have often looked back on my childhood and still reminisce about the wonder years they were. I grew up in the late 70’s and came into adolescence in the mid-80. The years then were different. There was television still yet to make a full entry into Indian homes, only one television channel to watch. You may think life was so boring. Actually, it was super duper. Life was really happening, as most of us be down playing games like marbles, hide and seek, football and cricket. Life had a simple outlook. Routines were fixed.
Go to school – come back home- sleep or study- be out to play by 4:30pm – come back home by 7:00pm – dinner at 8 pm – in bed at 10pm.
Life indeed was simple and rich. Oh by the way, star trek would come once every week. How I envied James T Kirk flirt with every other girl in Starship Enterprise. I loved the logic which Mr. Spock demonstrated. His simple nerve pinching act was enacted to point of tears on my innocent friends.
Came Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. How much I laughed until I could no longer hold my tears. There was the friendly Charlie Chaplin who showed the tragedy of life in a rather hilarious way. There was then Jeremy Brett playing the immortal Sherlock Holmes, with his pointed nose and gelled hair.
Did I miss Steve from Fireball XL5? To me, they were real and the song uplifted my moods. How I loved the simple to operate chair which doubled as a mobile transportation to both the astronauts when they were on another planet.
He-Man was my role model to build those bulging muscles and often, I was heard shouting “I am master of the Universe” in the bathroom. It made the lizard scurry for cover as it was wondering who the hell this rookie is yelling in his naked glory.
I was introduced to the vast #Cosmos by none other than Carl Sagan. There was Fraggle Rocks and Lucille Ball. Often, I laughed without understanding a word, for the pure joy of laughing and often wondered then, where was the crowd which was laughing so loudly yet not to be seen.
NFDC cartoons were a treat to watch, whether it was of conservation or of keeping the city clean. A powerful message I believed in.
Came the Olympics and the World Cup games. I often imitated Carl Lewis in my running as I truly believed I ran like him. Cricket was all about bowling like Imran Khan or Dennis Lillee, and there was slow moving reply to for all the kids whenever any of us took a wicket.
As I write this, I feel so much alive as a kid that I am in that adult body of mine. Life as a child is indeed the best life. Let me just ask Scotty to “beam me up” into my childhood.
– #SJ