Then you see it, Now you don't !

Ever wonder why the world has changed so much within the last few decades and not even centuries ? It is all man made at best and man made too at worst !

When we were kids then, we never objected walking even miles to school. I even walked all the way several times daily from my University living quarters or residential college to the lecture theaters five hundred metres away , be it rain or shine. Did we feel like complaining to anybody for this ? No, not at all because almost everyone walked then. The existence of motor scooters, motor bikes or even cars were limited to the very few amongst us undergraduates. When I was dating Ainul whose Teaching College was up on a hill top almost a mile away, I walked there to meet up with her. We walked to the nearest bus stand, five hundred metres down her hostel to catch the bus to town. In between movies when we decided to watch another one at a cinema the other side of town, to save money, we walked all the way. To relax at the Lake Gardens in the evenings, we walked to the place from the nearest bus stop which happened to be at least two hundred metres away. Did we ever complained ? Never even realized if we did . After all who was there to complaint to ?

We had just enough money each month to enjoy meagre living. Parents were not about to cough out extra money for us because they themselves hardly had enough to go by. What is it these days ? Even before the child could open his mouth to ask for an ice cream, the ice cream is already there for him to enjoy. Don't mention the telephones. We had to rely on the rare public phones to connect, but today even kids in primary schools have hand phones. Talk about eating out for the family. Today no one gives a second thought about doing so because there is always the Mc Donald's, the KFC, A&W and others that are considered low budget eateries that meet the average income earners. Those days, don't even dream or think about it. Almost everyone ate lunch and dinner at home or at worst we carried a tiffin carrier to our work place. I was always given one by Ainul when I was working then. Of course it was more to do with the assurance that I had a decent home cooked meals that I always enjoyed anyway.

What about toys or play things for kids ? We create or made our toys or play things because these were not sold anywhere at the shops or even if they were available at the shops, there were too pricey for us then. Thus we used our imagination and creativity to amuse ourselves. We seldom or never depended on the elders or adults to entertain us. We were independent. These days, our kids could not do without our presence to involve themselves in games of their choice to which in more instances than not are toys from the shop outlets , which are not only expensive and at best last only a day or two - interest wise - to the kids. Never mind if these toys are durable or unbreakable, the kids will still lose their interest in them within that short space of time. Hence we find a room full of toy junks in most homes . They hardly appreciate what we give them because they know they can get more even without having to ask for them. We are magnanimous providers for our kids , be they infants, toddlers. boys and girls and even adult children of ours. Why oh why is this happening to all of us today ? I think parents no longer have the guts to say NO. They love their children or better still their own selves too much to appear mean and real to their kids. Children they say are spoilt these days, but who spoilt them ?

With the sophisticated and high-tech toys readily available in the stores these days, we are all at the mercy of our kids. Each time the father or mother returns home from work or even visiting friends, the kids expect them to bring something . The same cannot be ignored for the parents who continuously wish to update on their electronic gadgets, personal computers , cameras and more popularly the cell phones. The changing of new phone models for technical update is a continuous daily occurrence in most families these days. The phone has become so necessary in one's life these days that it must remain mobile. Hence the cannot-do-without hand phones of today's world. A long time ago, when the first cell phone came out, they were not only big and bulky but they looked very odd to be carried everywhere. When they came out with the prototype hand phones of today, everyone aspired to own one. When the cost of these became affordable to the average salaried worker, almost no one is seen without one. It was a phenomenal happening to all parts of the world. All of a sudden , everybody is ringing everybody else at places even uncalled for such as in the public toilets or worst still whilst watching the movie at the public cinema theaters. Incidentally during my time, cinema theater was called cinema hall.

Talk about the buses of today. they are so comfortable, especially those especially made long hauled express buses which bear specially made cushioned leathered seats and with a special service attendant for food and drinks to be served on the passengers. Being air-conditioned is the norm with even the regular buses for commuters in city or town centres. In those days, the buses were not comfortable and they were not well kept either. When almost all long hauled buses of today have toilets in them, the buses then had no such thing. On long journeys, for the elderly and those in need to go to the toilets, we just had to bear it out until the bus made a stop somewhere. There was never any decent stop over place to relax and ease oneself like what we now have at all the PLUS rest and recreation areas. The journeys of old to say the least were adventurous and not pleasurable like today. In our country we have to feel proud that we have achieved so much progress to have and to enjoy excellent highways and public amenities. We are even better off than most countries of the world - western countries included. Thus who can blame us if we act spoilt !

On the good side , we have everything to savor and enjoy these days - the exotic foods and drinks, the abundance of fruits and vegetables of all kind that bear no international barrier for instant delivery to any country, the motors and cars that suit the budgets of any person , the supply of water and electricity to any homes or outlets, the ready availability of learning institutions of all kind, the manufacturing of foods and clothing etc.etc. In short you think about what you wish to have, someone out there has it on offer for you or someone is already thinking of making one. The world of today is moving at such a rapid pace as if it is afraid that it might end soon ! May be it is real after all.

Just take a peek at all the recent upheavals such as riots and wars and the clash of nations on ideologies and ways of living and beliefs. Everyone says they are being marginalized in one way or another and finding the scapegoats on the innocence for undue happenings is the norm these days. Who knows what is truth anymore. Even the news media manufactured or interpreted their own news to suit their needs. Almost all the big powers indulge in deceits and lies as and when these suit their needs. In short, people continue to lead very selfish lives and mental attitude that lead to selfishness. These are all phenomena for the survival instincts. When the birds and the animals start to be restless prior to major earth disasters such as earthquakes, or even major floods , they react because of the needs to survive. It is what it looks like to us humans today. We all seem to exist in a panicky way as if the end is about to come ! To come to think of it, we deserve it all, when we have destroyed so much that belongs to mother nature. We have stripped the jungle of its natural vegetation and trees, the rivers of its habitations and the seas too with oil pollution and excessive harvesting of the fish therein. Anything that is alive we kill and eat them and we leave almost nothing behind to replace what we have taken. We are the distructors of our own habitat. Who are we to blame if today's worlds calamities are seriously affecting our very lives that we have always treasured and cherished. We have forgotten our beginnings. We are traitors to own selves. We have betrayed our own selves into make believing that we own the world. Like the insects that hop from one plant to another, we are here only on transit. Our next destination has already been predetermined.

Take heart readers. Lets us care for our world but most of all, lets start with our immediate loved ones by nurturing them to be the loving, caring and responsible owners of our world. Do not spoilt but guide them. The inheritors of the world we live in have to be better than us in every way so that their world will be a more pleasant place to live in. This is no small role for all of us to play, but do it we must for only by doing so can we claim later on that we have done it ! Till we touch base again, the very best for 2007 and thereafter for all of us .