Our Cosmopolis colony looks extremely beautiful in the mornings. And for the last two days it looks even more beautiful in the evenings. Most of the balconies are twinkling with fairy lights and there is an air of festiveness in the atmosphere. Yesterday, however, when we were out on our evening walk, we saw a bunch of kids in the garden area, meticulously plucking out the blooming white lilies. Usually they are in the playing sections screaming their lungs out, an apt exercise that is meant for kids their age. This destructive ‘game’ was a little unnerving. My initial reaction was to stop them but they were enjoying themselves so much I didn’t have the heart to. Moreover, for them it was just another game of who-has-got-the-most-number-of-flowers. I don’t think they even thought that they had just destroyed something beautiful. Had I been stern and stopped them I would probably have become the ‘baddest Auntie’ in the neighbourhood. Not only that, forbidden fruits being sweeter, for them this prohibited game would also end up becoming one of the most intriguing one. Complaining to the authorities or to parents would also not solve the problem. But a suggestion might help. Every apartment here has a spacious balcony. So maybe the parents can teach their kids to get in touch with nature in their own tiny little spaces. They could encourage them by buying a pot especially for them. They could let them plant their own saplings, water them and watch them grow. Then I don’t think any child will ever want to destroy a flower that he/she has grown with so much care. The children plucked the flower only because they ‘liked’ it. But when you teach them to ‘love’ a flower, they will also learn to nurture it. This form of a constructive therapy might work better than a firm ‘NO’. Imagine a society where every child is in love with nature. And imagine a society where every balcony is blooming with flowers. That kind of a colony will look beautiful, not only in the evenings but all through the year.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 02:20:14 +0000