"WHERE'S THE FUN GONE?"
Birthdays have become quite a money spending event. They lack love & personal touch of yesteryear.
Last week, I attended a birthday party of a two-year-old. It was an eye-opener. Hailing from a small town, values, traditions and family have always been a priority over everything else for me. Birthday parties at that time were celebrated with a lot of love and affection.
Things are done differently now. Most kiddie parties in the capital are celebrated in either five star hotels or shopping malls. Event managers are hired to make sure that everything runs smoothly. The family sits back and relaxes. The over-excited mother is happy with all the money being spent on the baby.
Sadly, there is no personal touch. There are swings, bouncers, toy trains and all kinds of latest rides for the children to enjoy. You name it and everything that money can buy is there for the children’s entertainment. The whole decor looks like a mini Appu Ghar. The menu is pastas, pizzas, chicken nuggets, noodles and, of course, McD burgers. The hosts arrive like guests bedecked in designer clothes and make-up done by professionals. The maids who accompany the children gets special box of goodies. The return presents are expensive toys — mobile phones and remote cars.
I wonder where the simple pleasures of celebrating birthdays has gone? Our birthdays had games like passing the parcel and musical chairs. Birthday cakes were simple and homemade. Pakoras, sandwiches and the channa bhaturas was the standard menu. There was no show of money however rich one was. Return present consisted of pencil boxes, rubbers and lollipops.
Today, the wannabe middle class goes all out to spend huge amount of money on such parties. Unfortunately, it all goes unappreciated. The invitees are dressed from head to toe in branded clothes. Yet, they are not happy. They complain about how cold the pasta was or that a certain dish was missing in the menu. There have been instances where the guests have left without wishing the child. The maids crib about the dabbas that they get. The children who attend the party complain that they didn’t get a certain toy. It has all become so materialistic these days.
Even though one should not be making fun of how people dress for such events, the dress sense of the people makes for a show. The heavy-built Punjabi ladies forget that a nice salwar-kurta or a sari will hide all the flab which tight jeans and boots can’t. It appears more like a comedy show of a fashion show that has gone horribly wrong. One really feels sorry for such women. They have given up their values, their culture and simplicity which our country is known for.
I miss those good old days when simplicity was the mantra. We wore simple frocks which were not expensive. We thoroughly enjoyed opening the presents one by one. A special treat on the birthday could be a picnic to a local park or a trip to the zoo. It was so much fun to play outdoor games.
Sadly, the children of today miss out on all the real pleasures of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment