We are taking you on a bitter – sweet journey

“But tomorrow is a holiday! I want to stay up with you,” I pleaded, rolling on the couch.
“Okay, but only another hour!”

7 AM, the next morning.
I wake up to realize that I am neatly tucked in my bed.

“When did I fall asleep? Who brought me to bed? Wasn’t I on the couch? I was watching a movie with mom and dad!” Confusion and satisfaction rushed through me as I sat up.

Oh, how amazing those carefree days were! The magic of being transferred to the bed from the couch and the thrill of playing video games during holidays are just a few things that make us miss our childhood like nothing else.

It is around this time of the year when we actually take a few minutes out to remember those days, thanks to the busy schedules we have and the way our entire life is now dedicated to shaping the future of our own children! Some of us don’t ever have time! So, amidst dressing your child up for Children’s Day celebrations and getting your work done on time, we would like to take you on a trip to your childhood!

All aboard? Let’s go!

First stop – The electronic gadgets we flaunted

None of us knew mobile phones and USB drives! We knew of the Walkman and what we fondly called the ‘TV video game’. Anyone who had these was considered awesome!

Oh, how about cassettes? Every time a new movie was out, we rushed to beg our parents to buy us the cassette or we just saved our pocket money to buy one of our favorite actors.

Today’s generation doesn’t even know what the save icon on their laptops actually represents! We lived in the generation when the hard copy of that icon was a major part of our lives – THE FLOPPY DISK! 😀

Second stop – The TV shows we were hooked to

What Doraemon? What Chota Bheem? We were fans of Scooby Doo and Popeye – The Sailor Man! Remember Swat Kats?

And, when we didn’t want to watch cartoons (which didn’t happen very often), we watched Shakalaka Boom Boom, Shararat, Son Pari, Khulja Sim Sim, and Shaktimaan!

Some of us also loved watching the K series on Star Plus, and then having elaborate discussions about each episode in school! For the English sitcom lovers, there were FRIENDS to walk them through 10 years of their childhood!

There may be spin-offs and sequels of many shows today but nothing can beat the originals!

Next stop – Those ah-mayyyy-zing toffees!>

Asha chocolates – We could buy 4 for 1 rupee and they were the most satisfying toffees ever! Maha Lacto, Kismi, Bytes, Rola Cola, and Poppins were also on our list of favorite toffees. It is sad that they are no longer available!

When sandwich ice-cream was released, we could barely contain our glee. I still remember the tremble of joy I felt down my spine when my mother agreed to buy it for me!

Fourth stop – Those endless, meaningless fights with our siblings

Whether it was the remote or the music or the fact that we were trying WWF (WWE was WWF back then!) stunts, we needed small, stupid reasons to fight with our brothers and sisters.

Sometimes, though, it went so out of hand that our parents had to intervene and punish both of us. Remember beating the younger one up and shutting his mouth so he wouldn’t cry loudly? Remember that? Remember just how naughty we were?!

Final stop – School

Yes, we saved the best for the last. School exposed us to the world outside the protective walls of our homes. We made many friends (some of whom became friends for life), played, explored our creative side, and had some of the most emotional times of our lives in those classrooms!

From mocking our teachers to eating under the table, we left no stone unturned when it came to mischief! We can’t do that in our office now, can we?

*Train brakes screeching*

We hope this journey to the past made you smile albeit with tiny tears! No matter how busy our lives may be, our childhood deserves to be remembered. We owe ourselves that much. Happy Children’s Day to you!