When did … (the question series) ---- Reloaded

Post published on Nov 8th 2007

Grown up- A fully developed person from maturity onward. Atleast that’s the meaning, I found in the dictionary. It’s something everybody would have their own opinion on, but I don’t think there is a proper definition to this. Some say they had become grown ups at an early stage in their life because of their responsibilities and blah bhah and some like me, regardless of the age and the wrinkles, say they are 18 till they die. When asked, most of the male species come up with their age while the female species ask a question back with a displeasing smile” Don’t u think it is inappropriate to ask a girl her age?” Please note that the usage ‘girl’ itself is misleading. But nowadays, even the guys have adopted a safety step. Like their female counterparts, even they retaliate - “ How much do you think I look?” and their answer on the age would be based on that. But we all have to admit the fact that, this fear of growing old creeps into every human mind year after year.

So when would have been our first realization about our growing up? During our school days, we used to crib a lot about our teachers and exams and wished to be like our fathers -going to work, earning money and spending it on what we like. Situations don’t change in the later part of our life too, teachers take the form of bosses and the exams become our appraisals. And as we grow up, we end up spending lesser and lesser each day with a justification that the economy is down, prices have shot up and the standard of living has increased. Little did we know during then, that age is going to let you down physically and emotionally once you know that you are growing up. Like all the other guys, I first realized it during my high school and since everything was new, I was too excited to be a part of the growing up band. I had no clue about the consequences of growing up then. At a later stage, I had to speak to my parents about something special, and I knew there would be a lot of hiccups, but the only thing that ran to my mind was “So what, I am a grown up now and I shouldn’t be afraid to express whats in my mind.”. Slowly, responsibilities stood in front of me too with open arms and I had no other way than to put them on my shoulders and walk forward. Well, I guess I never grew up till I realized what I need to do in life. Parallel to this whole growing up syndrome, we even tend to look mature and old. However, in my case, till about a year back, people kept asking me the college I was in or the post graduation course I am doing, which made me feel a lot happier. I used to get elevated with joy seeing a weird expression after I tell them that I am working. “So what if I am growing up, people still think that I am young.”—I gradually became a narcissist spending too much of my time in front of the mirror.

But every good thing needs to have an end. Things changed all of a sudden (I donno y and how)and the kids in the neighbourhood now call me ‘uncle’. The word ‘uncle’ hit my ego so badly on the very first day itself and they still do it inspite of repeatedly reminding them to call me ‘anna’(which btw means brother). Each time they do it, it gets onto my nerves --“Uncle, could you get us that ball? Uncle, could you park your bike here? Uncle….?Uncle…?Uncle…”. Aaargh, I hate kids when they don’t listen. All I asked them was to call me with a simpler word which would make me happy. But who am I kidding? Of course, I am getting old each day and gone are the days when nature used to help me hide my age. Guess what, I avoid attending marriages these days just because I hate answering, “When’s yours?” and then I keep mumbling, “Why do they keep asking this to me and when exactly did I grow so old to get married?”.

This is what happens when my mind wanders and often I don’t get satisfied with the answers I arrive at. Well, its not a big deal if I am growing old. Atleast I am younger to my bro and a lot younger to my dad. To quote a dialogue from the FRIENDS series, “Thirty is not that old an age. Do you know how old the earth is?” We all would have wished for more birthdays in our childhood before blowing the candles on the cake; probably if I had wished less, I wouldn’t have grownup so fast !!!