THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
Was
it a trip to my hometown, or a luncheon in Trichy with cousins-only group that
triggered my emotions on how my childhood days were spent. I met old friends in
my former street, after so many decades and we recalled with nostalgia,
incidents of how we spent our non-school hours in the streets, at each others’ homes!
We could, after games, walk into any house in 7th cross
Thillainagar and were readily treated to water, coffee and snacks!
On
my return journey to Coimbatore, I was musing on how things have changed.
WHY?
Was
it the games that we played which prepared us for life? Partly true!
Was
it the interaction with our playmates, sometimes in joy, sometimes in anger…
but always prevailing as friends which helped us in later life as professions?
I certainly think so!
THE
CHANGE OVER
I
do not recall much of violent crime among the public, in the yesterdays!
I
don’t need to recite examples in our present era… all you have to do, is to
switch on any TV news channel, any day, any time! And you are exposed to so much horror - violence of humans against
humans, humans v against animals, humans
against nature!
THE FACTORS
The
underlying factors for this behavior may be in the ways we bring up our
children!
At least it may be an important, if not the only factor!
That
has to do with the school and non-school hours!
We
have changed over the years. Change is good! If you don’t change, you don’t survive!
COMPARISON OF TIME SPENT OUT OF SCHOOL
I
have compiled and compared the games we played as kids, and the games the kids
play nowadays!
Games
of the last 30 years!-
- Police and robbers
- Flying kites
- Marbles
- Playing wooden tops
- Gilli Danda
- Hopscotch (Nondi)
- Playing tap within a square
- Pallankuzhi
- Street cricket
- Street football with tennis or rubber ball
- Skipping rope ( 1, or 1+2)
- Kabadi
- Musical chair
- Match box telephone on a string
- Making string patterns with both hands
- Running races on the road
- Bicycle races on the road – slow and fast
- Ball badminton
- Swimming in wells
Games
after 2000-
- Mobile – checking FB, Instagram, reading & forwarding whatsApp messasges
- Television serials, movies
- Mobile , TV games with console
- Motor bike rides
- Cricket in stadiums
- Shuttle badminton in courts
- Gym – indoors
- Swimming in pools
WHY
DO CHILDREN PLAY GAMES?
Importance
of games:
- Games are there for several reasons. Mainly to :
- Have fun
- Prepares you for life
- Prepare of physical skills, motor skills
- Compete
- Aim to be the best and being magnanimous in victory
- Accept defeats and being graceful in failure
- To exchange directly with opponent both in co-operation as well as in disagreements
- To develop good spirits of sports – winning and losing is only in a game, remain friends after that
Negative
aspects of games, some of which are:
Negative
aspects of games, some of which are:
- Introversion in just immersing oneself in mobile
- Curiosity in others activities like in FB
- Shallow emotions, false emotions – like thumbs up when you really don’t mean it
- Physical immobility for long periods
- Being a loner with a mobile
- Eating while watching mobile, TV leading to obesity and other diseases
- Sending forwards – more to be in the group rather than saying what you really want to say
- Loss of self expression and self assertion – internet immersion rather than being physically in a group.
- Let others dictate to you how to spend your time (programs on TV, movies).
AS
WE GROW UP INTO ADULTHOOD
As
we grow up, we want to do things on your own
- You do not get bored when alone!
- You do the things you love best!
- You change – I write blogs of my experiences. I don’t know if anyone likes them, but hope someone will!
- You are equally happy with people as without people!
- You have aims in life and try to do your best to achieve them!
- You spend enough time with family!
- People miss you when you are not there!
What more do
you want in your life! What
more, Indeed!
Change is indubitably inevitable!Intelligence is the adaptability of the surviving organism to the surrounding changing environment! So we as parents, better change for a better life! But keep the good parts of the game going!
Change is indubitably inevitable!Intelligence is the adaptability of the surviving organism to the surrounding changing environment! So we as parents, better change for a better life! But keep the good parts of the game going!
It goes unsaid that cousins are our first friends - who know all our temperaments and still love us . It really seemed like there used to be plenty non - school hours then ...I always wonder how it can be when now- a- days children have very little time at home !
ReplyDeleteVery nostalgic , doctor, after reading this topic ...
Speaking about interactions with friends - you have portrayed so beautifully well as in " swamy & friends" by RK Narayan 👏🏼remaining friends in both joy and anger !!
The factors for the brutal behaviour of humans is certainly,as you have highlighted, in the upbringing of our kids . But again, change is the only thing permanent in life.
Wow !! Each game is interesting and brings out lot of happiness and energy in its own way !!Great of you, doctor, for keeping in memory all these wonderful games ! Feel so happy to think of them 😇 . I'm not familiar with (1) Playing wooden tops (2) playing tap within a square . what are they, doctor ?
I remember , one of my cousins , fell into a well while playing police and robbers 😱 The whole village were around the well peeping in to see if he was fine .The well being quite deep , he was lucky not to have got injured - the water level was also very low ( During rainy seasons , the well used to be full - unable to distinguish it from the ground around ) . Then in Kerala , I don't remember seeing any ladders - they had two long bamboo's tied together and asked him to climb up carefully 🙃
A superstition prevailed that playing marbles brought debt to the family which made us sneak out to the remote corners of the houses to play unnoticed . 🤪
ReplyDeleteThe cricket bats used to be the stems of coconut trees !
Kabadi used to attract a lot of audience with applause 💐💐. Even without knowing the rules of the game , children used to cheer the players !!
Wow !! Your blog again reminds me of Kamala Das (she is at times cranky , though ) initially called as Madhavi kutty. Her reminiscences of her childhood days in Kerala is full of spirit and happiness !
The matchbox telephone on a string used to be hilarious - one standing down and the other on the roof top just to try if we could hear each other as the distance increases .
Swimming brings a lot of thrilling memories- the ponds with slippery steps , the water snakes at times peeping out and ofcourse water entering your nosestrills and ears at times . Though raised in TamilNadu , we used to visit Kerala at least 3 times a year - lovely memories - of a remote village in Shoranur !! Besides , we always used to walk a considerable distance - at least a minimum of 1 km from home to pond, pond to temple , then back to a dark home - with just lanterns in all rooms - a bit eeric though 🙄😱 There was no electricity then - you have no other option other than happily sharing and listening to experiences , looking at what grandparents do , but the transister would always be on right from 6 am in the morning starting with " Vande Mataram " . Children sleep early and in turn wake up early 😇
Doctor , the. Importance of games - splendid description point by point !! Now a days children are happy only with victories . They avoid participating in activities fearing failure !!
The present scenario of teenage is portrayed so well in " the negative aspects of games ". Looks like you have been with my daughter - so similar as to what you have explained !!
Parents are also to be blamed to a great extent .They come home late and kids are either on their own or with grand parents .Now a days , media is so addictive that we can refuse accessories to a child only to a certain age because they have access to it either through their friends , at schools etc... hoping that they become less additive as time goes !!!
Evolving to adulthood - is Exceptional ! Your blog is excellent 👌👌
Maybe many enjoy reading it. Simple things are the ones that give real happiness .Being aware of it and being able to count our blessings is something which the present children should be aware of or rather taught .
The photographs are real good , doctor👍
Thank you once again for kindling a lot of lovely memories 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you so much for reading the blog in detail and responding so well with so many events you too have experienced! Gracis!
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