Looking at my daughter now, I remember my childhood, growing up in a small town. Things were so different than now. Now a days kids do not get out of their house to play. Firstly, they are too hung up with their studies, homework and other school activities and secondly even if they have time they would rather play video games, watch T.V, or play with other gadgets. There is no physical activity at all.
In the U.S, things are even worse. Here very rarely I see kids outside their houses. Some times, I wonder if kids live in the U.S. Nevertheless, I have decided that once when, my daughter grows up I will try to build a taste of physical activity and playing in her, if I can.
When I was growing up, we used to play so many outdoors games .Some were very strenuous and some of them were just leisurely but it had to be out side the home. There was one game called “haddi-dappa”.As the name (“haddi” means bones) is so was the game. You have to have a very strong bone to play. This game required at least 6 people to play. Starting with the lowest level, we had to increase the height to jump. Therefore, there were at least 8 to 9 levels of those heights. Two girls would hold a long rope at each end and thus keep increasing the height. After you are done with all the high jumps, you proceed with another level of the game, which was the most challenging part. Now the girls would increase the height with their hands, which sued to be very high. We had to jump over that hand without touching them. One round of game used to be for an hour just when the sun was about to set. Apparently, at the end of the game we would be extremely tired. We would feel that every joint in our bone got exercise and full of energy. Dinner after this game used to monstrous. No amount of food could satisfy our hunger and once in the bed to sleep nothing can wake us up until 6:00am in the morning.
Some times when I think back, I feel that life used to be so good, so full of energy and enthusiasm. I still yearn for those moments’ .No worries, no tensions. I wish my daughter also had that kind of life. May be even better. I wish her all the pleasures of the life. Who know what will happen later.
