May 12, 2009

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 !!!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL..are u really "caable" of such a sense-filled post :P i never realized :P and ths post reminded me u calling me "chechi" and guessing my age!!!@$!$%@$%@$%@@# im happy tht kids dnt listen

Rakesh said...

Uncle uncle uncle!!
Uncle uncle uncle!!
Uncle uncle uncle!!

Ashwathy said...

LOL @ Rakesh
talk about rubbing salt in the wound!!

@Vimmuuu
I personally feel maturity has more to do with one's experiences in life rather than just one's age. I've seen young people (say, late teens or early twenties) act very mature and older ones (even middle-aged) act like brats!

LOL @ transformation from anna to uncle. some kids call me chechi but some call me aunty. i guess i m somewhere in between. atleast i ought to be grateful i didnt jump from chechi to aunty in one single day! :P


I think getting old isn't the real issue... the point lies in whether you can age gracefully or not.


P.S.: you shouldn't have removed that original comment this post had. i remember reading it and laughing. forgot who posted it tho. the joke abt being tired of being told by aunties at marriage receptions that "u r next" and that stopped when one turned around and told them the same during funerals! :P LOL

Rakesh Vanamali said...

I couldn't agree more to this post! Back then, we so much needed to grow up, only to realize that our best days, have slipped by and remain only in memory!

How I wish...............!

Sakhi said...

Uncle !!! :D :D

Well, in my case, i was already "aunt" even before i was born :D :D so can't really complain about the word :)

Destination Infinity said...

Actually I do a few things to look older - I have some white hair, I have a receding headline and I cut my hair short, I try to speak like a wise old person but still people can guess my age!! I think it is just not in our hands!

Destination Infinity

AV said...

well, i know!! i hate it too, wen jobless maamis n paatis start getting their wicked match making ideas n start naming some "marriable-guys-looking-for-nice-homely-girls", and some even keep insisting tat i m old enough to have a kid already n tat iyengar girls were 'in-demand-in-the-market'!! i got so pissed last time, tat i actually retorted saying i really didnt need to be married to have a kid, if they knew biology!! ;)
happens dude!! :P
cheers!

Anonymous said...

Addin more insight uncleji .. u made this post by nov 2007 rite uncleji ? its almost a year and half now .. so so i guess u have become more unclish by now .. he he he he

Ramya said...

In my case the suffix 'Aunty' was attached under pressure.Our friends kids here in firangnaad used to call my husband 'Uncle'.The kids were really young at that time so 'Uncle'suited just fine.When I got married to him the kids were already in their teens.Now the dilemma began.The kids started calling me 'chechi'.This didnt go down well with hubs.
It bruised his ego that the same kids who called him 'uncle' called me 'chechi'!!!
He demanded that either they start calling him 'chettan' or start calling me'Aunty'.
Obviously they thought calling him 'Chetta' was a tad unrealistic(...lol)so "AUNTY" it was!
Bottomline is, mine wasnt a gradual transition it was totally forced and sudden :(

Ashwathy said...

@Ramya
you have my deepest sympathies... lol

Reets said...

Nice one...

Oorja said...

no prize for guessing i became an aunty the day i got married. it is so surprising and frustrating.

i was just 23 at that time.

one day you are 'didi'(sister), and the next day you put sindoor on your forehead and you become 'AUNTY'.

that is how kids grade adult (18+) women.

Ordinary guy said...

I felt old the day i reached 25! quarter life crisis!

Indyeah said...

LOL!Vimmuu what a post!thought provoking certainly :P

Anyway when I am in the aunty brigade I will let you know:P
*its years away*


Uncle!

ROFL!!

Solilo said...

Uncle ji, you still not in phoraaan?

Ramya said...

@Ashwathy
thanks...lol!!!
I was 22 ...you see where they angst comes from?!!

Ashwathy said...

@AV
LOL...thats the spirit!!

@Ramya
double ouch!! adding some more sympathies!! lol
see? this is why steer of marriage atleast until u are 25 (for girls)!