Idle musings

I am going to attempt what I assume is something unusual here - pointers on parenting, from my limited experience as a child myself. Of course there are several self-help books, articles, and social media posts out there advising you on the same, but mine is only a humble attempt at stimulating introspection. Because every child deserves a chance at a happy life. So here goes: Be there for your child/children from the beginning. It is important to build a rapport and become their pillar of strength at an early age, so that you can tide over the rough teenage years comparatively easily. Take them travelling from a young age. It doesn't have to be some popular, posh destination, as the media has convoluted the term to be. Anywhere outside the four walls, where they can observe and learn from life in their own way, is ideal. This will also pave the away to inculcate in them a robust physique and an open-mindedness that will go a long way in helping them meander through life. D...

In the olden days, a chosen few had the rare pleasure of conversing with "pen pals" - people whom they had met once or twice at most, or not at all, but in whom they had found reflected, common interests. And these, they continued to discuss passionately through letters. Eagerly waiting until the next one arrived so that one could know the other's thoughts. But gone are the days when you had to wait to hear from a loved one. The internet is a strange place, to say the least. Here too we can converse freely with strangers over shared interests. But it is also a place where thoughts as these pop up - we ignore each other to grab each others' attention. Read it again. And the irony is that such reflections surface on the very medium that fosters such social alienation. What a world.