ABCD… A Sequel
This is because, at times, I am confused about my identity too. This is not as serious a matter as detailed earlier. Thankfully metaphysics is on hold at this point of time in life. It stems from a lot of writing and over-writing on the tapes in my mind due to the many varied spools that dad keeps playing from time to time.
This is more or less a really funny look at the way my father describes his offspring. I have an elder brother. We are two years apart in age. There is no doubt that like any parent would be he too has great pride in us and all that we are.
The funny bit is this – we are Gujarati (in that we hail from that region in India) but have settled in Maharashtra for well over 50yrs. now. So he goes around telling folks that we are maharashtrians… sons of the soil… men of the Sahayadris – a mountain range with beautiful terrain and a lovely, hardy & homely people – so we are “local lads” so to speak.
Of course there is no denying that as “Gujjus” we ought to be proud of our cultural heritage and lineage!
Then there will the times when some body comments on our athletic abilities and then he’ll go off calling us Jats – a tough and robust north Indian race! Not merely because we took part in so many sports while at school or that we are into running half-marathons… its just some crazy connection he thinks of.
Then there were times when he’d want to toughen us up a bit, take away our ‘security blanket’ of the known and put us out of our comfort zone and if we complained or slipped up he’d be ready with his token reply of how we were having it easy and behaving like “Lord Faulkland” an erstwhile colonial biggy. (no offence meant there!)
I have saved the best for last, the icing follows… not content with the overabundance of choice that exists amongst homo sapiens sapiens he resorts at times to other species too!
A favorite in recent times has been that he’s brought us up to be street dogs. Lean and mean. Perhaps he is encouraged and happy with the fact that we are trying to strike out in the world on our own, and not really depending on him or lying in his protective shadow.
An eternal choice was always that we were his cubs, tigers in the making, the “Shers” of tomorrow.
Whatever be the case, I know for one that he has been the most doting parent one could hope to have. He has always been encouraging and remains a source of inspiration. His zest for life, undiminished energy at work and ability to relate to people out of love is something I admire. He celebrates his birthday on the 15th of Dec.
We love you pops!
This is more or less a really funny look at the way my father describes his offspring. I have an elder brother. We are two years apart in age. There is no doubt that like any parent would be he too has great pride in us and all that we are.
The funny bit is this – we are Gujarati (in that we hail from that region in India) but have settled in Maharashtra for well over 50yrs. now. So he goes around telling folks that we are maharashtrians… sons of the soil… men of the Sahayadris – a mountain range with beautiful terrain and a lovely, hardy & homely people – so we are “local lads” so to speak.
Of course there is no denying that as “Gujjus” we ought to be proud of our cultural heritage and lineage!
Then there will the times when some body comments on our athletic abilities and then he’ll go off calling us Jats – a tough and robust north Indian race! Not merely because we took part in so many sports while at school or that we are into running half-marathons… its just some crazy connection he thinks of.
Then there were times when he’d want to toughen us up a bit, take away our ‘security blanket’ of the known and put us out of our comfort zone and if we complained or slipped up he’d be ready with his token reply of how we were having it easy and behaving like “Lord Faulkland” an erstwhile colonial biggy. (no offence meant there!)
I have saved the best for last, the icing follows… not content with the overabundance of choice that exists amongst homo sapiens sapiens he resorts at times to other species too!
A favorite in recent times has been that he’s brought us up to be street dogs. Lean and mean. Perhaps he is encouraged and happy with the fact that we are trying to strike out in the world on our own, and not really depending on him or lying in his protective shadow.
An eternal choice was always that we were his cubs, tigers in the making, the “Shers” of tomorrow.
Whatever be the case, I know for one that he has been the most doting parent one could hope to have. He has always been encouraging and remains a source of inspiration. His zest for life, undiminished energy at work and ability to relate to people out of love is something I admire. He celebrates his birthday on the 15th of Dec.
We love you pops!
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