The olden days were better than present. Those days were simple and free. Really very touching….really bring out tears from my eyes thinking of my school days. I miss going to visit my friends and staying at their house all day just having fun; no worries. Everyone worked together for a common goal, society was stable or moving in a positive direction and dissent was uncommon. There was less crime, there was less divorce, the people had much less debt and the world seemed a whole lot less crazy. There were no Mobile phones. There was no terrorism. There was no sensationalism. Natural calamities did occur and sufferings were more severe. Yet people breathed easy.
Food was of high standards abundantly available to everyone. The people felt pleasure sharing the food items. All the meat and vegetables came straight from farm, to shop, to table. There were no MacDonalds or Fried Chicken shops around then. Strangely, there was always enough food at home at least for two three guests. The people were patient and contented. There were more jobs, and society as a whole could buy almost anything. It wasn’t depressing. Houses were much cheaper than today. Old mud houses were really user-friendly, airy and well ventilated. Everyone basically went on a binge of buying. Family’s sat together to eat dinner and there was peace and harmony for most families.
Teachers were excellent and dedicated. Schools were better centers of learning. Kids went to mosque, said prayer. The old Radio entertained us all with high quality programs. People relaxed better. Kids didn’t sit in front of the TV and there was no computers back then and were either outside playing or were out with their groups of friends. Mothers stayed home to look after the kids, and dad went to work. You had homework and chores to do and if you disrespected a teacher or an adult neighbor you were severely punished. For example, whenever and wherever I made a mistake, the first thing which my parents required me to do was give apology. There was zero tolerance for misbehaving.
Old music and songs were good. Old films were outstanding. Our music was better than today. The songs were either love songs or happy songs. We played cards and board games and talked to each other. We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down….It was great fun. It was an innocent time, gone for ever. Girls didn’t maintained relations with boyfriends and stayed home until they got married. Those who did so were simply “bad girls”. It was a free range system. You could go out anytime you like and go play with friends all day long. I remember going outside to play with my friends and didn’t have a care in the world. Kids were safe and could walk the streets in the evening without fear of being accosted or abducted.
We walked to the school, miles away, barefoot in the scorching sun. We never felt the pain. On the way to school, we had open fires and no central heating. The kids played in the street with friends and were safe; they climbed trees, skinned their knees and ripped their clothes, got into fights and nobody sued anybody. We could stay out to play for hours; as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…Sweets were a treat, not part of lunch. Parents didn’t have to worry about their children’s safety as much as they do today. I miss visiting my childhood friends because they were simple people who only cared about living life one day at a time and enjoying the “Now”. Parents didn’t give their kids everything they wanted and the teens had to work for extra money they wanted.
The people trusted each other. There was hope. There was no clamor for things that one did not possess. There was concern, affection and true bonding. There was togetherness. The absence of those, that were not deemed essential to own, never made any difference to a happy life. There was a tradition of law and order, and a government capable of undertaking large national infrastructure projects, like building hydropower stations and roads. Ordinary people had a sense of hope, a belief that education could open opportunities for all, a conviction that a bright future lay ahead. Charity began at home then. Even beggars behaved in a dignified way. They used to be humble and never greedy. People were self-made. Families were big and joint family was the norm.
No doubt, there were poverty and scarcity, paucity and difficulty. But there was beauty in life and comity among all. Peace prevailed those days, despite poverty. Disputes were quickly and amicably sorted out. Courts had less business to do. Yet life was complete, meaningful and wholesome. My childhood has been filled with good memories. The kids had great childhood experiences. Well to be honest I consider my childhood the most beautiful and luckiest part of my life. I grew up in a small village. Growing up in rural Pakistan was just great. You could make friends easily as there were no strangers. In other words, everybody was your friend in one way or the other. We used to play “Gulli Danda” together under the hot sun. We used to swim together in the nearby canal and chat all day long. I will say life was very simple and beautiful. I met my old friend couple of weeks ago and believe me we were talking about our childhood most of the time. I have no regrets in my life.
Alas! All that has been destroyed. Times are changing very fast. Values are eroding. Goodness is replaced and it is now measured by smartness to get on with life. Everything has been commercialized. We have become excessively vigilant, touchy and more suspicious for no real reason. Today, we frisk everyone, inwardly at least. We take things with a pinch of salt. Though today’s material comforts — that could not even be dreamt of even a decade ago — are aplenty, still something is amiss about life. What is it? Peace? Happiness? I long! Bring back the values of the Fifties to eighties!
