So, you know, I’ve grown old. A few strands of hair have turned Grey. And now when someone asks my age I have to think twice - like I’ve forgotten. Or, maybe, stopped
counting.
On friendship day, I was even finding it cheesy to wish my
friends. Then it dawned upon me the fun we use to have sitting on my bed at
home eating Koki and discussing boyfriends. I use to tell my friends
everything. Starting from today he looked at me, or he held my hand or whatever
happened between ‘us’! I have always been blessed with a lot of very good
friends. So in those days, every event had to be narrated atleast 5 times; usually by a phone call just after I returned home!
When I was 14 I had my first crush. Yeah, that late. The telephone
was in the middle of the house. So when I use to call my friend to narrate the
events of the day, I had to give girly names to the boys of the class. Man,
what was I thinking? My mum would have laughed in the kitchen listening to the
stupid stuff that I thought I was very clever to disguise.
Today, every teenager has a mobile phone. They can password
protect it and chat away to glory. They can click pictures and keep looking. Oh
boy, I had just one picture! And in school, we just had class pictures!
Not only this, I use to love it so much when I use to get
blank calls! There was so much mystery attached to who the real caller was. And
till you did not know, you could easily cook stories in your head and choose
your favorite person as the caller. Damn truecaller of today. Even if someone
tries to call you from a random mobile number, this truecaller will identify and let you know.
Not that I want someone to call now! It is a nightmare at
this age. I’ve had some issues with a few blank callers and it was damn scary. Eventually
I reported it to the someone whom I thought could tell the person to stop. And
it did stop. But back then, the day was made!
Actually the digital age is quite boring. Emails don’t have the
same romance as letters with kisses and perfume. You can see on Skype, you can
hear on Viber, you can read on Whatsapp but you could feel in those letters. There
is no doubt that the STD rates were expensive at Rs. 4.5 , but the rush of
knowing that you will be able to talk today, even for a few minutes, was
amazing. When you have less of something, it’s priceless, isn’t it?
When I was in college, the Boy went to France for a student
exchange program. I use to get very little pocket money in which I had to take
care of petrol, phone and canteen expenses. I use to not switch on the AC just
so I could save on petrol and have extra cash for calling. We had Internet,
but our timings did not match. So, this is the only way we could manage. I
will always treasure that memory. If I had Viber, would I remember any of this?
Until a few months back, not all my school friends had Whatsapp. So we didn’t really have a group. We use to mail each other atleast
once a month updating about our lives. This particular set of friends have very
different lifestyles, but still we remain like sisters. Only because we mailed
each other frequently. On a dull day, I would go back to mails we wrote in 2006
when we all were in different cities, living in hostels and learning to adapt
into a new life. Or 2008, the year I got married. I dig mails from 2010 when a
friend was hunting every matrimonial website for a suitable guy. The fun we had
just through those mails is amazing. And there is a record of everything.
With Whatsapp, the memories are just in our head. Also, we
update less. Because when you chat, you tend to talk about the day and not
everything under the sun. Mails give you freedom to write at your own pace and
express. Ofcourse I can still mail. Ofcourse I can still sprinkle a little
perfume and send a letter. But the time, that time is just gone. And I really
miss it.
I have a wonderful life. I have new friends with whom I can
share everything, even my sex life. But i miss the rush because it is all so
mundane! We were more adventurous when we were younger. We were willing to take
risks. Now we are more responsible, more planned, more organized and all that
shit!!!
Yes, there is comfort in routine. There is peace and happiness. But hell, happiness, peace and comfort are all signs of growing up. To get that rush, we would have to change cities. Changing cities would mean taking a risk which we are not willing to take now. So, how do we get that rush?
Ah, does this happen to everyone in
their early 30’s? Or did I grow up too fast?! Perhaps the grass is always greener on the other side. I should talk to people who are living the so-called adventurous life not knowing where their next year is going to be. Maybe that will make me treasure my routine more.
P.S. This is just one of those nostalgic posts. 99/100 days, I love the routine more!! :p
I could agree to each and every word you wrote. About STD calls, letters, Archies greeting cards, and little pocket money for it all. I also remember code words for landline calls.! Yeah 30 sucks big time I wish I could go back to 24 :-/
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I wish to go back to 24. I mean, whatever happened to growing 'older and wiser and better' crap!!! They have been kidding all along! But then this is something that cannot change. We just need to adapt somehow. Damn!
DeleteNostalgic post. I used to call my crush through STD .. still remember the stupid grin I used to wear after every call :P
ReplyDeleteOh, the grin - even the songs gave me such a rush when I associated a particular one with someone!! Now I get a rush from dieting for 1 full day. How sad is that!
DeleteI haven't really experienced that letter writing 'era'... But me and my best friend used to write letters to each other when she changed her school and her brother would be our postman :-P
ReplyDeleteBut as of now... I can't imagine my life without my phone and Gmail!!! I need them as much as food and water :-P
I need my phone and gmail as well. Afterall, what are we without our smartphones! I'm just getting nostalgic... signs of growing up you see! And I'm a very bad example of growing older gracefully :p
DeleteCal and I still write letters for each others and we have post-its to convey messages. There is a charm in hand written stuff, don't you think so?
ReplyDeleteTechnology has improved everything. But ruined relationships.
You and your Cal.. uff!! :)
DeleteTechnology hasn't ruined anything. It is us who have not used technology correctly.
sigh.. i miss those earlier days too. writing letters, the missed call signals... as u said, class photos n all which were like gold unlike now where everyone has a 100 pics on their mobile... it was some of the best days of my life :(
ReplyDeleteGold - exactly. Everything was precious. Now things are not treasured. Maybe we need to ask the teens what do they treasure in this era!
DeleteI have a friend whom I send mails and how much I love that!
ReplyDeleteI still have given some of my guy friends, girl names because well, I dont know. :D :P
I already have grey hair :(
Lol!! Girl names for guys are only useful if you're hiding something. Otherwise there is no need.
DeleteGreying sucks!!
I still haven't caught on to WhatsApp. I still do the emailing thing. You know my son is almost 13 and he still has no mobile. He loves books too! But their lives are more complex due to gadgets, internet technology and loads of peer pressure.
ReplyDeleteAnd girl, you look super gorgeous. What are a few grey hair?
This post brought back so many happy memories!! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember the blank calls, sometimes calling my then-boyfriend from a PCO to have privacy, and I was famous for talking so softly on the phone that no one in my family could hear what I was talking about!!
I agree about missing that rush, life is so much more complicated now! I also feel that it's harder to find and make friends as we grow older!! :(
This post brought back so many happy memories!! :) I remember the excitement of blank calls, thinking of someone special when listening to certain songs, and changing names on phone calls.. I was famous in my family for talking so softly on the phone that no one could hear what I was talking about!
ReplyDeleteNot just for people in early 30s, it happens for people in mid twenties too. I was in the age of mobiles and computers but my dad being a disciplinarian made me know the worth of the other side.
ReplyDeleteIn the first year of college, I remember calling my guy from that 1-rupee phone at our hostel. I saved up 1 rupee coins like anything. Saving up pocket money to make way for a few more calls, the coded-letters we used to exchange before college, the detour I took from my college while going home just so that I can spend time with him.. Man, those feelings can never be priced at something. All the technology may have gotten somewhere else but I feel I belong to that frozen space in my mind wishing we could have had more of it.