Defenestrating Thoughts from the Bivouac

A couple of weeks ago, my parents hosted a pooja at their house. About 10 families came, so there were a good number of kids running around. Half the parents made their kids sit still and participate in the pooja, while the other half left their kids to their own devices.

We learned an important lesson a few years ago about kids left to their own devices during a pooja. At that pooja, while all the adults where partcipating in the services, the kids dismantled the Taj Mahal 3D puzzle I’d spent weeks assembling. And once they finished taking it apart, they proceeded to tear some of the pieces in half.

Anyway…

After that incident, we started to set up a small TV in the adjacent room so the kids can watch movies. I usually tell the kids that they can quietly watch TV, but if they are loud I’ll make them participate in the pooja. That usually scares them straight.

There’s nothing like the fear of having to worship God to set a kid straight. :-P

All our kids movies in my parents house are on VHS and the small TV we use is a 13 inch tube. When the kids saw it this setup, they got really excited! One tiny kid screamed “It’s puny!”, while the other kids started bragging about the TVs they have in their homes and rooms: “We have a 46 inch LCD!” “Oh yeah, we have a 60 inch LCD!” “I have a 52 inch plasma in my room!”

Kids nowadays have 52 inch TVs in their bedroom?

I never felt so old in my life.

Until 15 seconds later.

“Why don’t you start the movie?” asked one kid.

“Oh, the tape needs to rewind,” I replied.

And then there was silence.

I asked them, “Have anyone of you seen video tapes before?” Only one 12 year girl had. She said she found a box of them in her parents’ basement.

“Why does it have to do that?” (“that” == “rewind”), interrupted another kid.

So I started to explain “Well, it’s like… um…” I was at a complete loss, what’s a good analogy to teach kids about the why you need to rewind tapes? Their world is all digital, mine apparently is analog. As I tried to figure out what to say, I got interrupted.

“That’s puny! That’s puny! That’s puny!” yelled the smallest kid pointing at the TV while dancing gleefully. Fortunately Crissy walked in, picked up the screaming little kid and teased him, “Short little boys shouldn’t be calling things puny.”

He laughed and squealed, and finally settled down.

Just then the tape stopped rewinding! I pressed Play. Success!

Except that it was a Disney movie. So there were 30 minutes worth of previews. So now I had to fast forward and you knew what came next: “Why can’t you hit Root Menu?”. Anyway, we eventually got everything working.

On the topic of feeling old, it’s a strange feeling being an adult at a party your parents host. Growing up the screaming kids were my peer group, but now all the adults are my peer group. But given the circumstances of a party at my parents’ house, I still associate myself with the kids and not the adults.

Growing up, the adults are the weird people with jobs, that sit around and talk about politics, the economy, and — oh wait.

As the party was winding down, one of the adults asked their kid, “Did you thank Vijay Uncle for showing you the movie?”

And I thought, who’s this “Vijay Uncle” character? :-P

(Because of the British influence on India, Indian kids don’t say Mr. and Mrs., they say Auntie and Uncle.)

So, I guess it’s official, I’m not a kid anymore.