WE ARE ALMOST THE LAST TO - 643

 WE ARE THE LAST TO -------------

During our childhood , we had three different stages while learning to ride a Bicycle . First was the Monkey Pedal , second one , over the bar and finally on the Seat .In those days  it was very difficult to get hold of a cycle as there was only one cycle in the household  which was under the care of Appa . The cycle almost always used to be all of 24 Inches and used to come up to our shoulder height if not more .

Monkey pedal is  riding the bicycle with one leg through the triangular frame . Getting the nuance of balance ,  you graduate to riding the bike with your leg over the top bar of the triangular frame . 

The present generation of kids are unaware of the pleasure that one gets as the breeze whizzes past your ears as you ride the bicycle with the bell clanging announcing your arrival .

Riding a bicycle was almost the equivalent of flying an airplane . Hardly anyone would have learnt to ride a bike without many a fall or  bruises on your knees or shoulders . Brushing the bruises and dirt aside with your hands on the knicker and presenting a brave face as if nothing has happened and hiding the pain was always a difficult thing to do . One learnt it with practice .

The technology has changed very much now , 4 and 5 year old kids are riding the miniature sized bikes with small wheels on both sides of the rear wheel to prevent a fall . More affluent ones even come equipped with a battery . One does not even have to pedal your cycle for movement . Push of a button is all that it takes you to go places .

The not so fortunate but happy ones had the cycle for getting all the urgent grocery or other items from the market place  nearby . Fond memories of the bag full of vegetables on the CARRIER or the Sack of Rice or Wheat painstakingly tied on the Carrier may still be fresh in memory for many .

Alas ,  

We are almost the last generation that had all these things going for us . 

The chit chat with the friends underneath the huge mango tree is a thing of the past . As is the sharing of the Huge Mango from the tree with each friend taking a bite .

Waiting for the reply to your letter posted almost a month back had its own pleasures. 

We are about  the very last to listen to both our parents and our  children . 

We are almost the last ones who sat on the floor to enjoy our daily  lunch or dinner . 

We are the last ones who got beaten by our teachers . Our parents never complained about the same . Some in fact urged the Teachers to be even more strict with their wards and to use the cane even more frequently .

We are the last ones who were equally respectful of our elderly neighbors . The fear of being caught by the neighborhood Mama or Mami doing a mischievous act was even more scary than being caught by your own parents . The punishment was that much more severe , 

We were the last ones who did their School Homework under the yellow light of the Forty Watt Incandescent Electric Bulb . 

We were the last ones who used the Fountain Pen and enjoyed the splashing of the Blue Ink on the last day of school each year . 

We were the last ones to listen to Vividh Bharathi , Binaca Geet Mala or the Radio News every night . 

We are the last to sleep on the Terrace with just the Blanket and Bedsheet with the moonlight for company .

We are the last ones who had the single 36 Inch Fan for  for all the members of the house in that one room . 

We are almost the very  last ones to nurture the relationship of the extended family .

I might be wrong , I believe that we had the Best of all the good things !!