09/12/2024
I grew up in Bombay, not Mumbai.
Regardless of the weather, our dinner time was at 8:00 PM and bed time was 10:00 PM.
Eating out at a restaurant was a huge deal, a rarity actually. That only happened when it was a birthday or a very special occasion to celebrate.
There was no such thing as fast food on every other day, and having a bottle of soft drinks and an ice-cream from the local shop was a real treat. Pass your final exams and you might have gotten a new set of clothes, or Bata shoes.
You took your school clothes off as soon as you got home and put on your ‘home’ clothes. There was no taking or picking you up in the car, you either boarded the school bus or rode on public transport, or just walked home. You got home did your chores and homework before dinner.
Not everyone had a house phone and much later, all private conversation were at PCO booths.
We didn’t have AppleTV AmazonPrime or Netflix. We had only Doordarshan to watch. Jungle Book came once a week on a Sunday and Chhaya Geet on Thursdays, for which we waited all week.
We played chor police, lappa chuppi, Cricket, lagori, hitikiti, dabba ice-spice (actually it was “I spy”) Marbles and any other game we could come up with... At home, we stuck to ludo, snakes and ladders and Monopoly.
Staying shut in the house was a PUNISHMENT and the only thing we knew about "bored" was --- "You better find something to do before I find it for you!"
Life was good without instagram, facebook, twitter.
Followers were the friends standing behind you.
We played music via magnetic tapes or radio. A walkman was a luxury for the uber rich.
We went to the local shop for groceries and chiclets, jeera goli, kismi used to be a couple of paise.
We ate what Mum made for dinner and put in our lunch and snack box.
Bottled water was non existent. We drank from the school water tap.
We called our friends from home by shouting their names from the street below.
We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING. We played until dark... sunset was our alarm.
If someone had a fight, that's what it was and we were friends again a day later if not SOONER.
We watched our MOUTHS around our elders because ALL of our aunts, uncles, grandpas, grandmas, AND our parents' best friends were all extensions of our PARENTS and you didn't want them telling your parents you’d misbehaved! Or they would give you something to cry about.
We respected the Police, Firemen, Ambulance workers, Teachers, Doctors and Nurses.
We never answered back... ever !!!
And woe betide you if you ever did !!!
We got detention at school for not doing homework, being late to class or being naughty. Our teachers spanked us when we deserved it and our parents did not complain about it.
We did not know what luxury was. Our simple lives were so good.
Those were the good days, I loved my childhood and all the friends I hung around with.
Share if you are from the same generation.....❤️
