I have recently got one of my bedrooms renovated. Before the renovation, due to lack of space, I had no option but to pack loads of books and magazines in two cartons which were kept in the loft above the bathroom. If I needed any book for reference, I had to stretch my hands right up to the level of loft, pull the carton from the loft, carry the entire load in my hands and bring it down. Then I had to open the carton, search the desired book in the carton. And if the book did not happen to be in this carton, then I had to repeat the same for the second carton. You can imagine the kind of frustration I used to develop doing all this. When I renovated the room, I made sure that the newly made wooden cabinet had enough space to accommodate books and magazines.
I remember it was Sunday. I was busy sorting out the books from both cartons trying to seperate those books and magazines which were of no use to me and which I wanted to dispose of. While I was busy doing this, I came across with a very old magazine of school in which I had studied during childhood. This magazine was published by the school on the occasion of completing 50 years of incorporation and contained photographs of meritorious students with details of their achievements during school days and current profession. My photograph was also published in the magazine as I was also one of the toppers in school. There were many other photographs which I could recognise. Some of them were my colleagues, seniors. There was a seperate section for school teachers. They looked quite pale and old. I could not recognise their faces but I could identify them with their names. It was a pleasant experience.
As I was going through the pages, I had flashback in my memory and I could recollect many events during my school days. There was one incident which was very funny and which I want to share with you. I was in standard V then. I was very scared of a boy who was tall, muscular with a pony tail. This boy used to harass me a lot. He will sit next to me in class room and torture me with his stupid behaviour. I was so traumatised and scared that I did not have the courage to even complain to the teacher. This boy had threatened me that if I complain to the teacher, he will give me solid beating outside the classroom. I was timid and obedient in nature. Although I never got punished in the class, I used to get scared when my colleagues were beaten black and blue for not doing homework. I was on the verge of tears and was unable to concentrate on what the teacher was telling. When the teacher looked at me, he realised there is something wrong. When he asked me what is the matter with you, why are you looking so frightened,I started crying. He told me not to get scared and tell everything to him. I could not find the courage to tell him what happened to me. It was at this moment that another colleague of mine who was sitting in the same row as mine stood up and narrated the entire sequence of events. After this, you can guess what might have happened to the boy who had harassed me.
My childhood memories are still afresh in my mind and I can recollect them frame by frame whenever I come across with an object which is associated with it.
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2 comments:
Its nice to recollect childhood experiences. Unfortunately, most of us are liable to remember the traumatic ones, since they have a deep psychological impact upon us & childhood is the most vulnerable and impressionistic age!
Bullies are everywhere & they have to be countered by someone or the other. These days I read so many incidents in the newspapers, where a child commits suicide due to ragging or bullying. & sometimes if they are subject to harassment for a long time, they themselves turn dangerous. In America, children subjected to constant bullying have sometimes open fire and shot their classmates!
Yes, I totally agree with you.
Now a days, children have become more vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Even the teachers are sexually exploiting children which was unthinkable during my time. There is a degeneration of societal values. There is so much parental pressure on the child to excel in exam that if the child fails to live up to the expectation of his parents, he commits suicide. My reading is that those parents who themselves could not achieve anything in life expect their child to fulfill their dreams and hence the pressure.
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