Explosive memories !

Clicked from home. Neigbourhood kids at Ganesh Puja.
Mumbai. Sept ’08

Deepavali as we used to call it, is here. Over here people call this festival Diwali ! And i guess this will be acceptable to the mo-text-gen. ‘Mobile phone – messaging – generation’ to the uninitiated !

A day filled with oil bath, prayers, new clothes, and fire crackers ! ‘Fire-Crackers’ then started sharing space with Television programs. But the essence of my recollections of Deepavali of the wonder years, revolves around fire-crackers.

They came in many shapes and sizes. Of inordinate length. And of course, the essence was to produce the loudest noise that had the potential of bringing the neighbourhood down ! Who cared about the neighbourhood, it had to be louder than the neighbours fire-cracker ! Looked forward to, with a great degree of excitement the purchase process brought endless levels of delight.

I don’t recall when the change started to set in. Mine and my brother’s interest in the fire-cracker started to wane. To a point, where every burst of a cracker was greeted with a grimace usually reserved for a divisive politician.

Today, when i see youngsters queuing up to set off fire-crackers, ( especially at odd times) an urge to talk to these kids emerges from somewhere. To talk to them about simple living, about good over evil, about pragmatic thinking, about making a difference, about having fun without causing inconvenience etc etc.

I guess i wear on my sleeve, whats on the mind. At least, that’s what the data indicates , from my wifes responses. And of course, she knows my pet peeves !

Today, as she serves dinner, she cocks her head and asks me, ‘what would you have done, if somebody told you to live a simple life etc etc, when you were all set to burst a cracker?’. I laugh and say, at that age i perhaps would have burst a louder fire cracker !

‘Old man, do you think we can afford more noise’ she asks. I get the hint. Suddenly whats on the dinner plate seems interesting.

Somewhere below, a fire-cracker goes off. I can hear it. Loud and clear.
And that sound segues me into my wonder years. I see in my mind, vivid scenes. Of me setting of loud crackers in brand new clothes and raw happy energy.

Perhaps the kid who set off the fire-cracker will remember this night, many years laterr, just like i did today. Triggered by a cracker from somewhere, grimacing at the noise and smiling at the memory of his wonder years.

And of course, his wife’s dinner !

Diwali is here.

8 thoughts on “Explosive memories !

  1. Aleta says:

    What a lovely post and I like your wife’s question! You brought back a memory for me. When my brother and I were much younger, for the 4the of July, we bought fire crackers. On my parents’ street, across from our home, another street ended at a right angle.

    We saw other set of children setting off fireworks. Was it mishap that one of their fireworks suddenly landed in front of our home and set off that loud sound? My brother didn’t think so and the next time that he lit a fire bottle cracker, he aimed it at the neighbor’s children! We went round and round with them. It was fun, but then, all of a sudden, we saw the two neighbor children bring out this HUGE box and the children ran inside. We wondered what it was….

    Yes, that’s right, a BOX of fireworks that went up in a huge rainbow display of color and loudness. My brother was in awe and said, “We’ve been bested.” Lol. He still remembers that time to this day.

  2. brings back timeless memories. the fight between different groups…shooting rockets at each others forts, blowing up much about everything…we were ordinance masters in the past 🙂

    today id rather watch…somehow the fun has gone…not sure why 🙂

    excellent posts from u sir, reminding us of whats important…the stories of our lives.

    ive updated the ooty pics in the India blog sir.

    tc. 🙂

  3. Priya says:

    That was hilarious and advance Deewali wishes to your family. Are you learning Marati now to survive from those goondas??

  4. Pearl says:

    Oh, I think there is wisdom on both sides of this particular dinner table, isn’t there?
    🙂
    I like how you think, Kavi.

    Pearl

  5. Jeevan says:

    Fore us there is something that we have to put more burst papers than neighborhood gateway! I love firecrackers those make less sound and more lightning colors. As nature this festival get us on wish more than wise 🙂

  6. Shrav says:

    hilarious!! advance Diwali wishes!

    Take care

  7. Kavi says:

    Aleta : Thanks for sharing. That brought back a number of memories for me as well ! Your comment opened the flood gates ! Thanks !

    GP : I guess we have moved on from those days. Those memories remain ! What say !

    Priya : Thanks wishing you more. this is a big city with far too many good people !

    Pearl : Thank you ! Wisdom is there all around

    Jeevan : of course ! The paper ! I missed that ! Of course !

    Shrav : Welcome here..glad you like it..

  8. cris says:

    Darn! I wrote a big commetn and blogger took it away!
    Gist of it – Why should people stop having fun when they age? I dont believe its a part of growing up, they just follow some unwritten assumed rules everyone else seemed to go through.
    Shucks my original comment was nicer.

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