My earliest memory of my childhood is that I am sitting on an elephant, while my elder brother was standing near the elephant and crying. I checked this out with my mother, when I was 30 years old and she replied that me and my brother were taken to our native place, to offer worship in our village temple. After the rituals, me and my brother were given an 'elephant ride' ! The next one was when I was admitted in the school, in the first standard, when I was hardly 4 years old. There were no kinder-garten and nursery classes those days. The reason for my admission was nothing connected to schooling and knowledge ! My mischief in the house was unbearable ! I was the youngest in the house , with three elder brothers and two elder sisters. Moreover, it was a joint family and the house was full ! They had no time for me and I did not bother a bit about that. I was making myself merry with all kinds of mischief. Right from my young days, I was a loner and found happiness and pleasure on my own and to be in my own dream world !

I finished my first two years in the elementary school and thereafter we shifted to a city which was 40 kM away from Chennai. While my elder brothers were admitted to the Boys High school, ( Ramakrishna Mission ) I could not get admission in the third standard since the elementary school upto 5th standard was 3 KM away from the house. But the headmaster agreed to admit me in the girls High school where the admission and study was possible for boys , upto only 5th standard. There was no co-education system, though both the schools were in the same campus , opposite to each other.

If there was one thing I disliked, as a boy, was to be in the company of girls ! Especially lady teachers ! But, I had no alternative. After a few days, the inevitable happened. The lady teacher pinched my ears , in front of all the girls giggling, for my mischief. I came back to my house and announced that I will not go to this school at any cost and would prefer to go the boys elementary school ( branch school of the same management), which was three km away. I was lucky to get the admission immediately. I liked the school very much ! Nowadays,while I forget the names of anyone introduced to me, within minutes, ( Age !) I still remember most the names of my friends at school who studied with me in third standard !

One day I went late to school, by 30minutes. My teacher was upset on my late attendance and asked me to go the headmaster." Go to him and say that I have come late " was what he instructed me. I went to the headmaster. Looking at me standing near the doorstep, he asked, 'what do you want ?" I said, " the teacher asked me to tell you that he came late to school." The headmaster was very angry. What an insubordination! After coming late, one should send this message through a student ! After the class was over, he asked him about this late attendance. Teacher was very confused. He said that it was the student who had come late and not the teacher. Miscommunication ! Resulting in double punishment.

We used to have one class of Moral Education, every day. In the afternoon session, the last period would be for Physical training on daily basis. Every alternate day, in addition to the PT class, we used to have one class for 'gardening', where all students will cultivate the small land area inside the school and grow plants! I liked all this very much. There are no moral classes these days and no room for any appreciation for nature ! Our children sadly lose all the essential ingredients of happiness !

Once, when I was travelling in a train, I shared this feelings with one of the co- passengers, who was happy to talk with me. After a patient listening, he said. " Why should you think that the children do not get happiness because they do not go through the same kind of education or experiences ? Perhaps your way of appreciation may be even boring to them. It is , afterall , an individual taste." I felt what he said was true. There could be possibly a cultural change due to changes in needs. But, I still feel my view point is also correct. What is the purpose of life, if you turn out to be a 24x7 man ? You lose your quality time in life , only to regret when there could be no recourse. I am happy that I am not like that. I have been enjoying every second of my life; not that I do not get upset, worried and angry on so many occasions. But they only add to my contentment and happiness whenever I think of my happy moments and memories ! I have plenty of them in my memory bank . I would not really know whether the reader, other than myself, would be interested in them. Perhaps, I shall come to know of that later.

Regards

Ramani