How ever, I wish to write a few words comparing our life "then and now" on the subject.
I am an old timer, who has been brought up under the strict rules of family values and discipline of Hindu Undivided Family of yore. In our time we had little choice of our own and consumerism was not known. Our demands were mostly linked to essentials of day to day life. Awareness of this limitation from childhood had prepared us well to understand the value of contentment. There was only one member, my father, was the earning member and my mother was a full time home maker (house-wife) who attended on every need of ours. Every Rupee earned or spent was accounted for. Thus we knew the value of money.
Well, today though,we continue to live in HUF , things have changed beyond recognition. Both my grand daughters are independent in their likes and dislikes from food to family outings. Their needs have expanded because of limitless choice in the market. Being full time employees their parents could not give enough attention to the children. They compensate it by munificent spending of money to satisfy the needs of the kids. Children get upset for simple things and argue or go into a rage of shouting. I am yet to find an answer for the query "What has gone wrong with our lives, which was comparatively peaceful, even though we did not have this much of wealth and comfort ?"
Warm Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
Dear Sir,
I agree with what you wrote but I am quite sure if we contact our ancestors in Pitr Loka they will say "Aiyoo I was much better than my greatgrand son..I was much better behaved etc"
I am sure you would agree with me that each generation tends to think that way..just like I like the music of the 80's cos I grew up hearing it and might feel todays music kind of sucks a little!LOL
Its becos we ourselves held on to some values that we perceive was right...but it was right at that time.
So like wise as time goes on..values changed cos there is more pressure...something which was less apparent is older times.
One thing I have noted the computer usage does affect moods..no idea why..may be cos the mind is moving at a very fast rate online and when the computer is shut off the mind cant adjust to the slower needs of a normal conversation and tempers tend to flare up...which could explain why children get violently angry these days.
This I have noted even with myself..that I tend not to want to talk to people and feel they are speaking too slow for me..the mind wants to rush god knows where.
May be its some side effect of the virtual world.
Its not absence or presence of wealth that gives us peace but its all about being contented.
Now try telling this to a child and he will start to shout at you!LOL
Even adults find it hard to be contented.
BTW we adults too have mutated into very different beings.These days life is all about competing with each other.
People compete for the stupidest things.
I will give you an example...I do not like using a smart phone..prefer a basic Nokia and I had attended a medical meeting where I used my phone during lunch to make a call and the doctor beside me asked me "what..you dont have a smart phone..what would people think..they will look down upon you"
My answer was simple "who cares..I am happy with my choice"
So you see many of us give in to pressure of others and this indirectly spills on to our children when they see parents in "Keeping up with the Kardashians mode".
Parents these days do not believe in living..all they keep telling their kids is "be the best..be the top scorer" and every parents brags about their kids and also parents brag where they went for holiday blah blah blah.
There is nothing wrong aiming to be the best as long it does not become an obsession.
So tell me sir..when parents themselves are playing the game of change in the wrong direction..doesnt all these come with a price?
