Child is the father of man

One friend (A) was talking to another friend (B) (while pointing towards his 10 year old son)

A - 'aajkal bachche bahut smart ho gaye hain'

B - 'itna jaantey hain, na... baap re... computer, mobile, tv, meri 9 saal ki beti hai, mobile se khelti hai'

A - 'mera beta bhi.... kehta hai.. papa mobile me internet nahin hai..lelo na'

B - 'meri beti kehti hai, papa ye nokia purana ho gaya... iPhone lo ya fir Galaxy'

As this conversations was going on I was just observing their gestures.... and trying to read the background.... may be both of them did not have these feelings (as their kids) while they were this young. Anyway... lets enjoy their conversation:


A - 'or kitna padtey hain ye bachchey...school, home work... tution... music... drawing... '

B - 'sach me kitna pressure hai na in par'


A - 'inka school bag kitna bhari hota hai'


B - 'jab tak college pahunchenge, Spondylitis ho jaaega'


A - 'really... yaar... aajkal ke bachchey kitni mehnat karte hain na'


B - 'sahi me.... socho apna time... kya maje they'

A - 'kisi tarah school me samay kaat te they... fir kya tha... rastey me ped par chadna... fal todna....ghar aakar basta feka, khana khaya.. or nikal padey khelney....'

B - 'vo bhi kya din they.... baba asli padai to khel ke maidan me hota tha... school jane ka man hi nahi karta tha... kitna baar klaas bunk kiya pata nahi...'

I was really enjoying their conversation. I was too getting nostalgic about my school days.... I was reminded of a saying which I recently read in one of our colleagues living room 'Never let school interfere in the education of a child'. The real learning was outside the class room.. in the heat and dust of the ground and the life...with friends... in team... in fights... on roads... in dim lights... in shanties .... Oh I missed their conversation... let me listen to them...


A - 'school me ham log ko koi tension nahi tha'

B - 'sahi kaha.... college me aake socha aakhir karna kya hai'

A - 'lekin ek baat sachmuch theek hai.... aajkal ke bachche bahut smart hain'


B - 'reeeaalli sab kuch jaantey hain... itni choti si umra me...'


A - 'Hamko to kuch pata hi nahi tha .... '


After enjoying their conversation I was trying to think for a while and thought of telling them:


My dear A & B... when you were kids... your parents said the same, talked the same way (some 40 years back) as you are talking today.....when your parents were young children (some 70 odd years back) their parents (your grandparents) said the same...... What changed is the manner in which Children were compared... but what was always talked...


'aajkal bachchey bahut smart ho gaye hain...' 


Children of all time are (or have been) smarter than their earlier generation.....Our children are going to repeat the same with their children.... may be in a different way... but .... they would certainly repeat the sentence:


'aajkal bachchey bahut smart ho gaye hain...' 


I also feel that the whole story could be replayed by replacing Smart with Badmash.... 


...after all Child is the father of man.

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