GENERATION GAP SYNDROME

My subscriber base is ever increasing, and my new reader asked me to write about the problems teenagers have with their parents. As you know, my ritual is to write a blog on what my newly added reader asks me to write on. 

And why not write about something which will take most of you back through time and feel nostalgic? 

So I get to relive my early teenage years - those weekends spending an entire day on the cricket field, eucalyptus trees coming to our rescue in the summer - playing in the school grounds, (yeah, St. Lawrence probably has the biggest and best school grounds in Kolkata) during the break, bare feet, classes became a fighting ground over who is the best - Ronaldo or Messi (Well, we had that in first year of college too!), or if Manchester United can win the premier league or not, social media fights against South Point and National High (they were tough to beat) when we were playing CAB tournaments U-16, U-14.

For me and probably most of us, we were only busy with playing games in school and at home and if possible even during the class (you know those silly rock-paper-scissors and book/hand cricket games) making sure that we didn't get caught and face the wrath of the teachers. Oh, I could go on and on! So, basically we didn't have much to worry which maybe doesn't hold true for today's teenagers. In fact even in college, while most were busy either trying to make a career or roaming around with girl/friends I used to either write a lot or play FIFA on my desktop.  

So this question sounds a bit alien to me. The only conflict I had with my parents was regarding studies. And how my sisters used to complain about my skin colour because apparently I became a bit dark after spending almost an entire month after my boards playing cricket for my club (I woke up, took my kit and went to the club grounds and returned only at night - all this in the month of April, May when the heat was unbearable). All I did was to play. Or write, sometimes. 

I do not know what problems teenagers of today have considering I had none - yup, none! - which put me in any sort of conflict with my parents or elders. As far as disagreements are concerned, it will remain till we breath and I had fair share of them or still continue to have with my friends, family, parents. Or whether I did wrong things/mistakes? Absolutely I did and it has got nothing to do with being teenage but everything to do with something called 'life'. Everyone does that, but today I proudly accept the fact that I managed to mess up my life a bit and it is better late than never to realize those mistakes and rectify them. Today I do realize that if it were not for my upbringing and my able friends and family and parents maybe I may have taken the immoral road. Perhaps, your family values is what makes you ethical or unethical. I grew up in a family where my grandfather was the founder of a school and the way he used to interact with me regarding the socio-economic spectrum of the society made me feel like schooling was perhaps idiotic (irony, isn't it?). I remember him having a discussion with me when Shashi Tharoor lost out to Ban Ki Moon for the post of UN General Secretary, it was 2005 and I, 9 years old - no wonder I absolutely adore International Relations! This legacy of his perhaps, thousands of students paying their last respects to him when he left us for heavenly abode in 2011 is what helped me get back to doing what was right and ethical and how I had to strive harder to make this country a better place than ever before. And I wonder what has changed between then (his era) and now? Humanity still needs educators and teachers and able administrators. The society is still dealing with extreme poverty and not to forget on this Earth Day, pollution! What generation gap are we talking about? Nothing has changed except for the fact that we have become even more insular, that is to say even after the advent of social media. Frankly speaking, we are talking about 2 generation gap difference! Yet, what held true for him holds true for me today. Only complain I have with him is that when he lifted me up on his shoulders after a ritual (we shave the head of the child after 3 or maybe 5 years for the first time, in hindi it's called 'mundan') when I was five, I asked him whether he was in discomfort to which he said - "I will live long enough to carry your child on my shoulder after his ritual too!" I miss him and everyday I wake up and make sure that I live up to the legacy he built and take it forward. Make sure I am half as good a man he was, make sure I give back something to the society and help in solving some of the challenges which our society faces. Yes, his legacy lives on and inspires me or reminds me to do good.

That was then.

The crux of the matter is that I have no idea about why teenagers have conflicts with parents or on what grounds they have it. But still having seen a few things in this society I can relate to what my fellow reader wanted to say. And to answer her, I instead wrote something - it's not a poem (considering I have written far far better ones), it is not a prose! 

So, what is it? You decide. 

THE GENERATION GAP SYNDROME

Lights up a cigarette 
at it with a flicker 
smokes rising to the sky. 

Offers me to puff 
'Why don't you try it for once?'
it will be fun, you see. 

& for once I did relent
nothing worthy did it seem
but for the regret to live my rest of the life with. 

You will regret not doing as they say
you will repent what you did
they forget to say. 

Delved deep to misery
once it got hold of you
the pangs of mediocrity. 

Finally it does seem
there is no good or bad to feel
every idea hence, to try for once becomes a dream. 

You sit back and reflect
twenty years thence
all the good and bad finally does filter. 

& you look at your creation
innocent in deed and they grow up 
to have a go at it again. 

Idea of morality is unknown to me
living my life by a code, it says
'do not do which your seers have told you not to.'

And yet, I know for sure, you will relent
until you will become 
a parent again. 
_________________________________

Finally, Looking at how I lived, I say to me - 
'seeking an opportunity 
to live my life again
mere sleeping, eating and playing
& that was then'.