By Maxwell Pereira
I suffer from a gender bias. And over the years I have realised the bias is tilted strongly in favour of the fairer sex, having convinced myself that nature has dealt them a raw deal. It is also because I do believe those of the female gender, especially in our country, are a lot discriminated against, ill treated, exploited sexually, commercially and for labour, molested and raped, and attempted to be eliminated be it at the pre-conception or pre-natal stage by female foeticide, after birth by infanticide, abandonment or malnutrition – in a patriarchal male dominated society, by a people irrationally and unreasonably obsessed with a preference for sons.
I crusade against all this – work for and advise on women’s safety issues, join the debate on discrimination on grounds of sex, and fight against domestic-violence; advocate and participate in workshops on gender sensitisation for target groups where it is deemed necessary; write and attempt to draw attention to and impose my thoughts on the reader social milieu through column space the editors condescend to provide me – and engage myself, as currently, as a law enforcement consultant in the effort of the Union Health Ministry to combat female foeticide by discriminative sex selection aimed at eliminating the girl foetus/child.
Even so, there are times when I feel things are getting out of hand, that social thinking is getting a bit too warped, to warrant some limit, to draw the Laxman rekha at some point. Like when the Supreme Court tells us that a woman cannot rape a man!
Actually, I believe, in saying so the apex court has gone by the definition of statutory rape as codified in section 375 IPC, pointing out that a bare reading of it “makes the position clear that rape can be committed only by a man”. This was in a case where the Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier taken a view that though “a woman cannot commit rape”, if she facilitated the act of rape then Explanation-I to section 376(2)(g) would come into operation to allow prosecution of the woman for “gang rape”.
The court is right, of course! Only in so far as the legal definition is concerned. But without going into legal semantics and the letter of the law on the subject, it is the sweeping statement and blanket conclusion projected in the media consequent to the court’s decision that “a woman cannot commit rape” is what I object to.
To me rape in any form or by either gender is wrong. And that's the bottom line. Rape is a disgusting crime no matter who commits it. And rape is the fault of the predator, the aggressor party, because it is not consensual but forced sex. Just as men do not own women, nor do women own men. It is about wanting to have sex or not wanting it – so the same goes for women raping men.
The reason why women raping men isn't a big issue is because most people cannot fathom a man being raped by a woman. Because we as a society do not see men as victims of sex crimes. A lot of people see this in their head as a ridiculous notion. For starters, a man is supposed to be stronger than a woman, so how can she overpower him? But consider, like in a case in South Africa, three women accosting a man at gunpoint to have sex with him! The most common view is that no man would deny sex, so how could a woman force him to have something he doesn't want? What people forget is that rape is not about sex, it's an act of violence – the sex is just a sidebar to the crime.
May be even courts would view male rape as a joke. In the west where the concept of females raping men is not so incomprehensible as it is here in India, there have been twister situations – when the attacker woman has got pregnant through her crime and initiative, and the courts have decreed that the victim man pay her child support. Similarly in situations of domestic abuse where the woman is the abuser, and not the other way around, the overwhelming bias tends to see this too as a joke, making victim men often the butt of derisive mirth, ridicule and insults. In a just society, just the fact that you are a man shouldn't make the act of violence you suffered at the hands of a woman, any different.
Studies elsewhere on Female Sex Offenders – from therapists, offices, college campuses etc – and not police reports, have proved the amount of female sex offences occurring, most of which never reported. That it happens, it’s real and society better get a handle on female sex offending, and realize it occurs, before they are completely blind-sided – and their loved one, son, friend or relative becomes a victim. Perhaps only then people will stop laughing and want something done about it in the legal system.
There appears indeed a deep-seated assumption that gender equity is synonymous with female disadvantage. In this context Cathy Young’s view in her book “Ceasefire! Why Women and Men Should Join Forces to Achieve True Equality”, is pertinent. She describes women as a “class whose presumed interests are to be given priority and see equality as a matter of convenience; women are tough and aggressive as men when it comes to fighting wars or fires” – as we would want to believe after the recent controversy over treatment of women in the Indian Army – “but frail and helpless when it comes to domestic violence; as carnal as men when it comes to sexual freedom, but innocent and victimized in any sexual conflict. To some extent this has also been the party line in the mainstream media.”
July 18, 2006: 950 words: Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira:
email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com; web: www.maxwellpereira.com
Comments
Jennifer Arul: Indonesia/Malaysia/Chennai: 18.07.2006
this is a very interesting AND provocative piece.......oh and by the way in Bahasa Malay the word (which I am trying to get for you) for MATERNITY HOSPITAL is THE PLACE FOR VICTIMS OF MEN!! From that one is led to assume that there is no such thing as consensual sex!!
Austin Prabhu: austinporob@gmail.com: Chicago: 19.07.2006
Good article Maxwell; I really liked the title!!
John Dayal: johndayal@bol.net.in : Delhi: 19.07.2006
That, was a penetrating insight….
Fr. Jacob Kani: jacobkani@hotmail.com; Delhi: 19.07.2006
Not only the title, but the contents as well make it a good reading and reflection. I hope you won't object to my idea of publishing it in the next issue of Indian Currents.
BBL Madhukar :bblmadhukar@yahoo.com : Delhi: 19.07.2006
Like ur other articles,Woman on Top has raised very pertinent points.Some one should take up this with the apex court for a review through a PIL. I am deeply impressed. Thank u for ur timely initiative.
Martin Howard :honiwala@vsnl.com : Delhi/Gurgaon: 19.07.2006
Though it is possible to imagine cases where “Three women armed with guns” etc, importuned a male , it is a fact that for sexual intercourse to occur, the male needs an erection, and guns may not command that. The male be excited, and in such circumstances I wonder whether there may not be a voluntary element in it. However, when a male is excited and forces himself on a woman, this is an entirely different matter.
It is always the woman that is invaded, and if she doesn’t mind, then it is not rape and if she does mind then it is.
I am full of sympathy for what I think the SC intended.
Francis Aranha :francis.aranha@gmail.com : Delhi/Noida: 19.07.2006
I guess I am one of the proviledged few - maybe the only one, who had a chance to "preview" your piece.
Bravo! Shall look forwrad to more.
Manish Bhatnager :manish@digisoftonline.com : Digisoft Technologies; Delhi: 20.07.2006
One of the most radical pieces - of penning your thoughts; especially when it comes from a bureaucat who is always groomed to practice subservience to seniors and exercise abject authority on juniors.
I salute you for your belief, I guess its easy when you are not serving. However somebody has to begin at some level.
Sir, I would be honoured to meet you some time with such open debates, when we say open means open, no subservienvce - thats the way life always moves forward if we wish to really make a difference
Dr. Anup K Pujari IAS:anup@nic.in : Delhi/Bangalore/Harvard: 20.072006
Fabulously written and well argued.
(The title is catchy !).
subhash sawhney : subhashcs@yahoo.com : Delhi: 20.07.2006
Very thought provoking indeed.
Eric Gonsalves IFS : ericgonsalves3@gmail.com : Delhi: 20.07.2006
BRAVO MAXIE - TELL THE WOMEN LIKE IT REALLY IS CHIVALRY AND EQUALITY AS IT SUITS THEM
ABHA.DAYAL@itcwelcomgroup.in : 20.07.2007
Good one !!
Fatima Pais :fatimapais@gmail.com : Delhi: 20.07.2006
Nice writing. I also believed - how can a woman rape a man? However, after meeting a couple of guys who have taken a beating from their wives and heard about women looking for sex outside marriage because they were bored - I can believe anything is possible. I also know about real cruel women who can make their husbands sound like wimps. They'd just be the ones!
sawan dutta :sawandutta@yahoo.com : Delhi: 20.07.2006
Ha ha ha ha ha :-)
You sound like you're suffering from too many women in your life...
LOL!!!
A.S. Syali : vasanta@rajdootpaints.com : 20.07.2006
The article made very fascinating reading and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am always very happy to read your delightful articles and would request you to keep writing more
Sunil D'Cunha : sdcunha@staywellhealth.org : Bridgeport/USA: 20.07.2006
well written, not sure many women will agree, how are you able to do this much research.
VIMALA LOBO : vimala_lobo@sify.com : Mangalore: 21.07.2006
Max, You are back again, on the screen with somwe interesting reading. Thanks for it.
Vasanthi Nazareth : vasanthinazareth@yahoo.com : Florida/USA: 22.07.2006
You write about a very interesting and controversial subjects. Rape and sexual crimes of women and men. Yes, women can and have raped men but what percentage? I cannot qualify the statement I am making, but I am sure there are far more men sexual predators than there are women. What I am glad to note is that you are taking an interest in this subject, of specially killing innocent foetus of unborn girls, in India.
Life is beautiful, I am or once was a girl and what would life be without me in this world? Keep up the good work....
Tuesday, 18 July 2006
Tuesday, 2 May 2006
Corporal Punishment
By Maxwell Pereira
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
When the ‘caning’ of Michael Fay, an American teenager in Singapore, occurred on May 5, 1994 for car vandalism – despite intervention and request for clemency from no less a person than President Clinton, my first reaction was to imagine that the Singapore authorities were definitely Jesuit products. That was influenced by my own childhood experiences and exposure to caning and corporal punishment (CP), which was then a part of the disciplining process.
In actual fact though, CP as part of penal legislation in the then British Malaya has historical roots in the criminal laws of England and India. When the Straits Settlements Penal Code Ordinance IV replaced the common law in 1871, it was based on the Indian Penal Code enacted in 1860 to unify the criminal laws of the various provinces in India. The offences punishable by whipping were broadly similar to the ones in England of the time. So ‘caning’ was entirely an outgrowth of British legal and judicial custom and practice…. negating the erroneous belief attributing CP to Islamic justice.
Even though Corporal punishment as a judicial penalty was abolished in the UK in 1948, and in India in 1955, caning was retained as a primary penal sanction in Malaya and Hong Kong. Singapore is one of sixteen countries, including Malaysia, Pakistan and Brunei, that mandate caning or flogging as punishment for criminal offences. But Michael Fay’s case exposed the differences between the legal philosophies that underpin many Asian countries and the USA, describing the incongruousness as a clash of civilizations.
For more clarity, corporal punishment has been described in dictionaries as the deliberate infliction of pain intended as correction or punishment. Historically, most punishments – whether in judicial, domestic or educational settings were corporal in basis. The practice held to differ from torture in that it is applied for disciplinary reasons and therefore intended to be limited, rather than intended to totally destroy the will of the victim.
The practice of CP is known to have existed in classical civilisations of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Israel, used for both judicial and educational discipline. Among varied practices, scourging and beating with sticks were common. These approaches to CP continued into Medieval Europe, encouraged by attitudes of the medieval church and the muslim world (as during muharram) towards the human body, with flagellation being a common means of encouraging self-discipline or penance. In particular this had an influence on CP in schools as educational establishments were closely attached to the church during this period. But even then the use of CP was seen as a cruel treatment of children.
New trends from 16th century onwards, witnessed judicial punishments increasingly made into public spectacles, with the heavy public beatings of criminals intended as a deterrent to others. But early writers on education also complained of the arbitrary manner in which children were punished.
CP attracted heavy criticism during 18th century, both by philosophers and legal reformers. Merely inflicting pain on miscreants was seen as inefficient, influencing the subject merely for a short period of time and effecting no permanent change in their behaviour. Critics wanted the purpose of punishment to be reformation, not retribution – thereby reducing the need for measures such as CP. This led to a diminution of CP throughout the 19th century in Europe and North America. Even so CP proved most persistent as a punishment for violation of prison rules, as a military field punishment, and in schools.
In the modern world, CP has been largely rejected in favour of other disciplinary methods. Modern judiciaries often favour fines or incarceration, whilst modern school discipline avoids physical coercion. And yet CP has remained a common way of disciplining children. Although outlawed in some European countries, most legal systems permit parents to discipline their children however they see fit, implying a belief that there is a distinction between reasonable punishment and abuse. And although CP is still used in many domestic settings it has been specifically banned in seventeen countries.
In terms of punishment in judicial and educational settings, the practice is almost completely abandoned in Europe and North America, whilst other societies in Asia retain widespread use of judicial corporal punishment, including in Malaysia and Singapore. In Singapore, male violent offenders and rapists are typically sentenced to caning in addition to a prison term. CP also dictated as a punishment in traditional Islamic Sharia law, and applied in countries like Saudi Arabia.
Corporal punishment exists in schools in many countries, although in many countries this practice has now been made illegal. CP in schools was often in the form of hitting the child's hand with a leather belt, or hitting the buttocks with a cane. Many educators use a milder form of CP by "spanking" – usually slapping the child's buttocks with the palm of their hand. Others punish their children with a switch, belt, paddle, or rattan cane although this practice is less common than in years past.
The debate on corporal punishment has triggered yet again, with the Karnataka High Court’s recent ruling on April 19 that punishing a child in good faith cannot be considered as an offence – interpreted in terms of section 88 of IPC. Locally, visages of corporal punishment continuing to exist in the Delhi School Education Act were struck down by Delhi High Court in December 2000; following which all school principals were addressed in a circular by the government and the CBSE in 2002 to ensure no child is subjected to any corporal punishment. At the instance of the NCERT there is also an effort to eschew all forms of violence in the school environment – including violence disguised as discipline.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
May 02, 2006: Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira: 3725 Sec-23, Gurgaon-122002
email: maxpk@vsnl.com, mfjpkamath@gmail.com; web: www.maxwellpereira.com
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
When the ‘caning’ of Michael Fay, an American teenager in Singapore, occurred on May 5, 1994 for car vandalism – despite intervention and request for clemency from no less a person than President Clinton, my first reaction was to imagine that the Singapore authorities were definitely Jesuit products. That was influenced by my own childhood experiences and exposure to caning and corporal punishment (CP), which was then a part of the disciplining process.
In actual fact though, CP as part of penal legislation in the then British Malaya has historical roots in the criminal laws of England and India. When the Straits Settlements Penal Code Ordinance IV replaced the common law in 1871, it was based on the Indian Penal Code enacted in 1860 to unify the criminal laws of the various provinces in India. The offences punishable by whipping were broadly similar to the ones in England of the time. So ‘caning’ was entirely an outgrowth of British legal and judicial custom and practice…. negating the erroneous belief attributing CP to Islamic justice.
Even though Corporal punishment as a judicial penalty was abolished in the UK in 1948, and in India in 1955, caning was retained as a primary penal sanction in Malaya and Hong Kong. Singapore is one of sixteen countries, including Malaysia, Pakistan and Brunei, that mandate caning or flogging as punishment for criminal offences. But Michael Fay’s case exposed the differences between the legal philosophies that underpin many Asian countries and the USA, describing the incongruousness as a clash of civilizations.
For more clarity, corporal punishment has been described in dictionaries as the deliberate infliction of pain intended as correction or punishment. Historically, most punishments – whether in judicial, domestic or educational settings were corporal in basis. The practice held to differ from torture in that it is applied for disciplinary reasons and therefore intended to be limited, rather than intended to totally destroy the will of the victim.
The practice of CP is known to have existed in classical civilisations of Greece, Rome, Egypt and Israel, used for both judicial and educational discipline. Among varied practices, scourging and beating with sticks were common. These approaches to CP continued into Medieval Europe, encouraged by attitudes of the medieval church and the muslim world (as during muharram) towards the human body, with flagellation being a common means of encouraging self-discipline or penance. In particular this had an influence on CP in schools as educational establishments were closely attached to the church during this period. But even then the use of CP was seen as a cruel treatment of children.
New trends from 16th century onwards, witnessed judicial punishments increasingly made into public spectacles, with the heavy public beatings of criminals intended as a deterrent to others. But early writers on education also complained of the arbitrary manner in which children were punished.
CP attracted heavy criticism during 18th century, both by philosophers and legal reformers. Merely inflicting pain on miscreants was seen as inefficient, influencing the subject merely for a short period of time and effecting no permanent change in their behaviour. Critics wanted the purpose of punishment to be reformation, not retribution – thereby reducing the need for measures such as CP. This led to a diminution of CP throughout the 19th century in Europe and North America. Even so CP proved most persistent as a punishment for violation of prison rules, as a military field punishment, and in schools.
In the modern world, CP has been largely rejected in favour of other disciplinary methods. Modern judiciaries often favour fines or incarceration, whilst modern school discipline avoids physical coercion. And yet CP has remained a common way of disciplining children. Although outlawed in some European countries, most legal systems permit parents to discipline their children however they see fit, implying a belief that there is a distinction between reasonable punishment and abuse. And although CP is still used in many domestic settings it has been specifically banned in seventeen countries.
In terms of punishment in judicial and educational settings, the practice is almost completely abandoned in Europe and North America, whilst other societies in Asia retain widespread use of judicial corporal punishment, including in Malaysia and Singapore. In Singapore, male violent offenders and rapists are typically sentenced to caning in addition to a prison term. CP also dictated as a punishment in traditional Islamic Sharia law, and applied in countries like Saudi Arabia.
Corporal punishment exists in schools in many countries, although in many countries this practice has now been made illegal. CP in schools was often in the form of hitting the child's hand with a leather belt, or hitting the buttocks with a cane. Many educators use a milder form of CP by "spanking" – usually slapping the child's buttocks with the palm of their hand. Others punish their children with a switch, belt, paddle, or rattan cane although this practice is less common than in years past.
The debate on corporal punishment has triggered yet again, with the Karnataka High Court’s recent ruling on April 19 that punishing a child in good faith cannot be considered as an offence – interpreted in terms of section 88 of IPC. Locally, visages of corporal punishment continuing to exist in the Delhi School Education Act were struck down by Delhi High Court in December 2000; following which all school principals were addressed in a circular by the government and the CBSE in 2002 to ensure no child is subjected to any corporal punishment. At the instance of the NCERT there is also an effort to eschew all forms of violence in the school environment – including violence disguised as discipline.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
May 02, 2006: Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira: 3725 Sec-23, Gurgaon-122002
email: maxpk@vsnl.com, mfjpkamath@gmail.com; web: www.maxwellpereira.com
Friday, 23 December 2005
The Story of Christmas
By Maxwell Pereira
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
Though India does not witness the kind of fervour with which Christmas is celebrated around the world – not necessarily only in the Christian world – be it in the Americas or the Europas, Christian Africa, countries that formed former Russia, or down under in Australia, it nevertheless continues to be among the major festivals celebrated by one and all here irrespective of caste or creed or religious belief.
The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336 A.D. To many today, Christmas is only associated with Santa Claus, the Christmas tree and gifts, decorations and goodies! It is also necessary to remember what the day is about, and is observed in commemoration of.
When Emperor Caesar Augustus ruled in Rome, and Israel was governed by King Herod, in the village of Nazareth lived Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus.
Soon the emperor wanted to impose a new tax, and asked all to register themselves in the towns of their birth. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary, who was with child, and close to the birth, rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her.
After travelling many days when they reached Bethlehem it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. As they were being turned away Joseph mentioned his wife was with child and close to birth. The inn keeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills where shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep.
So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. Joseph cleaned one that was being used as a stable and made beds of fresh hay. Mary gave birth to a son, and Joseph placed him in a feeding trough in the manger which he used as a crib. They named the child Jesus, as the angel had said.
When the child was born a great star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for miles around. In the fields nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared to them surrounded by bright light. The shepherds were frightened and tried to run, but he told them not to fear. "I bring you tidings of great joy,” he said, “For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem – a Saviour who is Christ the Lord." Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men." The shepherds set out for Bethlehem, and saw the child wrapped in swaddling clothes inside the stable in the caves.
As the star shined over Bethlehem, in the east three kings would see it. They knew it was a sign and they set off to follow the star. There was Caspar - the young King of Tarsus, Melchior - a long bearded old man and leader of Arabia, and Balthazar - the king from Ethiopia. They travelled on camels for many days over the mountains, and through the deserts, and plains. Always following the bright star. When they finally arrived in Bethlehem they found the child in the manger. The 3 kings bowed to their knees and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They would stay the night in the cave and the next day returned to their lands to spread the news.
This nativity scene – the star, the manger, the swaddling clothes, the shepherds, the angels, the heavenly host and the wise men - coming from the books Matthew and Luke in the Bible, are replicated in the form of the ‘crib’ in every Christian home at Christmas time.
Christmas is now both a holiday and a holy day – an important day everywhere on the religious calendar. There are two reasons why Christmas is considered a big deal: Christians constitute 2.1 billion of a total of nearly 6.5bn world population, making it the largest religion worldwide. Then like it is before Diwali in India, worldwide the weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year.
No one knows whether Jesus was really born on December 25. Christian leaders in 336 A.D. set that date in an attempt to eclipse a popular pagan holiday in Rome – Saturnalia, that celebrated the winter solstice. Originally, the celebration of Christmas involved a simple mass, but over time Christmas has replaced a number of other holidays in many other countries, and a large number of traditions have been absorbed into the celebration in the process.
The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus. However, no one was really in the habit of exchanging elaborate gifts until late in the 1800s. The story of Santa Claus combined with an amazing retailing phenomenon that has grown since the turn of the century, has made gift giving a central focus of the Christmas tradition. Greeting with Christmas cards started in London in 1843, in America in 1846. And now cashed in on for its commercial potential extensively, by every card manufacturing company in the world.
Having an evergreen tree in the living room is a German tradition, started as early as in 700 A.D. In the 1800s the tradition of a Christmas tree was widespread in Germany, then moved to England and then to America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. In Victorian times, people had already started decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon. Martin Luther, in the 16th century, is credited as being the first person to put candles on a tree. In 1880, Woolworths first sold manufactured Christmas tree ornaments, and they caught on very quickly. The first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Then in 1923, Calvin Coolidge ceremoniously lit the first outdoor tree at the Presidential White House, starting that long tradition – fake snow and tinsel...
In the west and snowbound countries, holly is invariably draped over the mantel and staircase. This was to replace mistletoe, which apparently was used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years. But mistletoe was also associated with many pagan rituals. And for Scandinavians, the goddess of love (Frigga) is strongly associated with mistletoe. So the church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous associations, and suggested holly as a substitute. The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries, His drops of blood.
"Yuletide" for "Christmastime" is a term derived from the Yule log, which in olden days was a huge log used as the foundation of the holiday fires. Bringing the Yule log in was, as recently as the 19th century, as much a part of the pre-Christmas festivities as putting up an evergreen tree today. Up until the 19th century, the custom of burning the Yule log flourished in England, France, Germany and among the South Slavs. Out of oak, families carved a heavy, wooden block. They placed it into the floor of their hearth. It glowed throughout the year under the flames of household fires, until gradually it became ash.
The tradition of hanging large oversized stockings originated when the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry.
Which brings us to the legend of Santa Claus: This lovable old gift-giver with a hearty laugh had his origins in a real person, Nicholas, a saint of the 4th century. He was born in the ancient Lycian seaport of Patara, travelled extensively – to Palestine and Egypt; and became Bishop of Myra after returning to Lycia. Was imprisoned during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians but was released under the rule of Emperor Constantine the Great and attended the first Council (325) of Nicaea. After his death, when Italian sailors stole his remains from Myra where they lay buried in a church… and took them to Bari in Italy, this removal greatly increased the saint’s popularity to soon make Bari a pilgrimage centre. Nicholas’ reputation for generosity and kindness gave rise to legends of miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy; and his fame spread far and wide. But the Nicholas' cult disappeared in all the Protestant countries of Europe except Holland, where his legend persisted as Sinterklaas (a Dutch variant of the name Saint Nicholas). Dutch colonists took this tradition with them to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the American colonies in the 17th century. Sinterklaas was adopted by the country's English-speaking majority under the name Santa Claus, and his legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents.
Poinsettias were attached to Christmas, starting in 1828. In warm climates, the poinsettia grows outdoors as a winter-flowering leggy shrub, and can be grown indoors too as a potted plant. What appear to be petals are actually coloured leaf-like bracts that surround a central cluster of tiny yellow flowers.
Fruitcake is another Christmas embellishment among other goodies. Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age. When they are well saturated with alcoholic liquors, which raise the spirits and keep down mold, and are buried in powdered sugar in tightly closed tins, they have been enjoyed as long as 25 years after baking.
Like all Jewish festivals start at sundown (not the calendar midnight) of the previous day - when candles and lanterns get lit, and continue till sundown the next day – Christmas celebrations too commenced on Christmas Eve. Christmas season lasts till Epiphany – the feast of the Three Kings – and hence the 12 Days of Christmas! There was in the past, also the tradition of giving gifts throughout the 12 days, rather than stacking them all up on the morning of December 25.
Finally, the tradition of Carols: In the Middle Ages in England and France, carols were dances accompanied by singing. In the French Midi, the "carol" was a kind of round dance. In time, the word "carol" changed its meaning, referring only to certain kinds of songs. The Anglo-Saxon tradition favoured gathering together small choirs on the village green to sing carols and Christmas songs for the pleasure of passers-by. Though in recent times a variety of new carols have been added, the old traditional ones remained a handful and hence it is estimated that each traditional carol is known to be repeated/ heard at least 700 or more times in a season! The legend of Santa has added to the list of Christmas songs, the likes of Jingle Bells and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer too….
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.12.2005: Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira: 3725 Sector-23, Gurgaon-122002.
Available at – tel no: 0124-4111025; on website www.maxwellpereira.com ; email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
Though India does not witness the kind of fervour with which Christmas is celebrated around the world – not necessarily only in the Christian world – be it in the Americas or the Europas, Christian Africa, countries that formed former Russia, or down under in Australia, it nevertheless continues to be among the major festivals celebrated by one and all here irrespective of caste or creed or religious belief.
The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336 A.D. To many today, Christmas is only associated with Santa Claus, the Christmas tree and gifts, decorations and goodies! It is also necessary to remember what the day is about, and is observed in commemoration of.
When Emperor Caesar Augustus ruled in Rome, and Israel was governed by King Herod, in the village of Nazareth lived Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus.
Soon the emperor wanted to impose a new tax, and asked all to register themselves in the towns of their birth. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary, who was with child, and close to the birth, rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her.
After travelling many days when they reached Bethlehem it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. As they were being turned away Joseph mentioned his wife was with child and close to birth. The inn keeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills where shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep.
So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. Joseph cleaned one that was being used as a stable and made beds of fresh hay. Mary gave birth to a son, and Joseph placed him in a feeding trough in the manger which he used as a crib. They named the child Jesus, as the angel had said.
When the child was born a great star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for miles around. In the fields nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared to them surrounded by bright light. The shepherds were frightened and tried to run, but he told them not to fear. "I bring you tidings of great joy,” he said, “For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem – a Saviour who is Christ the Lord." Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men." The shepherds set out for Bethlehem, and saw the child wrapped in swaddling clothes inside the stable in the caves.
As the star shined over Bethlehem, in the east three kings would see it. They knew it was a sign and they set off to follow the star. There was Caspar - the young King of Tarsus, Melchior - a long bearded old man and leader of Arabia, and Balthazar - the king from Ethiopia. They travelled on camels for many days over the mountains, and through the deserts, and plains. Always following the bright star. When they finally arrived in Bethlehem they found the child in the manger. The 3 kings bowed to their knees and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They would stay the night in the cave and the next day returned to their lands to spread the news.
This nativity scene – the star, the manger, the swaddling clothes, the shepherds, the angels, the heavenly host and the wise men - coming from the books Matthew and Luke in the Bible, are replicated in the form of the ‘crib’ in every Christian home at Christmas time.
Christmas is now both a holiday and a holy day – an important day everywhere on the religious calendar. There are two reasons why Christmas is considered a big deal: Christians constitute 2.1 billion of a total of nearly 6.5bn world population, making it the largest religion worldwide. Then like it is before Diwali in India, worldwide the weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year.
No one knows whether Jesus was really born on December 25. Christian leaders in 336 A.D. set that date in an attempt to eclipse a popular pagan holiday in Rome – Saturnalia, that celebrated the winter solstice. Originally, the celebration of Christmas involved a simple mass, but over time Christmas has replaced a number of other holidays in many other countries, and a large number of traditions have been absorbed into the celebration in the process.
The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus. However, no one was really in the habit of exchanging elaborate gifts until late in the 1800s. The story of Santa Claus combined with an amazing retailing phenomenon that has grown since the turn of the century, has made gift giving a central focus of the Christmas tradition. Greeting with Christmas cards started in London in 1843, in America in 1846. And now cashed in on for its commercial potential extensively, by every card manufacturing company in the world.
Having an evergreen tree in the living room is a German tradition, started as early as in 700 A.D. In the 1800s the tradition of a Christmas tree was widespread in Germany, then moved to England and then to America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. In Victorian times, people had already started decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon. Martin Luther, in the 16th century, is credited as being the first person to put candles on a tree. In 1880, Woolworths first sold manufactured Christmas tree ornaments, and they caught on very quickly. The first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Then in 1923, Calvin Coolidge ceremoniously lit the first outdoor tree at the Presidential White House, starting that long tradition – fake snow and tinsel...
In the west and snowbound countries, holly is invariably draped over the mantel and staircase. This was to replace mistletoe, which apparently was used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years. But mistletoe was also associated with many pagan rituals. And for Scandinavians, the goddess of love (Frigga) is strongly associated with mistletoe. So the church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous associations, and suggested holly as a substitute. The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries, His drops of blood.
"Yuletide" for "Christmastime" is a term derived from the Yule log, which in olden days was a huge log used as the foundation of the holiday fires. Bringing the Yule log in was, as recently as the 19th century, as much a part of the pre-Christmas festivities as putting up an evergreen tree today. Up until the 19th century, the custom of burning the Yule log flourished in England, France, Germany and among the South Slavs. Out of oak, families carved a heavy, wooden block. They placed it into the floor of their hearth. It glowed throughout the year under the flames of household fires, until gradually it became ash.
The tradition of hanging large oversized stockings originated when the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry.
Which brings us to the legend of Santa Claus: This lovable old gift-giver with a hearty laugh had his origins in a real person, Nicholas, a saint of the 4th century. He was born in the ancient Lycian seaport of Patara, travelled extensively – to Palestine and Egypt; and became Bishop of Myra after returning to Lycia. Was imprisoned during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians but was released under the rule of Emperor Constantine the Great and attended the first Council (325) of Nicaea. After his death, when Italian sailors stole his remains from Myra where they lay buried in a church… and took them to Bari in Italy, this removal greatly increased the saint’s popularity to soon make Bari a pilgrimage centre. Nicholas’ reputation for generosity and kindness gave rise to legends of miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy; and his fame spread far and wide. But the Nicholas' cult disappeared in all the Protestant countries of Europe except Holland, where his legend persisted as Sinterklaas (a Dutch variant of the name Saint Nicholas). Dutch colonists took this tradition with them to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the American colonies in the 17th century. Sinterklaas was adopted by the country's English-speaking majority under the name Santa Claus, and his legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents.
Poinsettias were attached to Christmas, starting in 1828. In warm climates, the poinsettia grows outdoors as a winter-flowering leggy shrub, and can be grown indoors too as a potted plant. What appear to be petals are actually coloured leaf-like bracts that surround a central cluster of tiny yellow flowers.
Fruitcake is another Christmas embellishment among other goodies. Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age. When they are well saturated with alcoholic liquors, which raise the spirits and keep down mold, and are buried in powdered sugar in tightly closed tins, they have been enjoyed as long as 25 years after baking.
Like all Jewish festivals start at sundown (not the calendar midnight) of the previous day - when candles and lanterns get lit, and continue till sundown the next day – Christmas celebrations too commenced on Christmas Eve. Christmas season lasts till Epiphany – the feast of the Three Kings – and hence the 12 Days of Christmas! There was in the past, also the tradition of giving gifts throughout the 12 days, rather than stacking them all up on the morning of December 25.
Finally, the tradition of Carols: In the Middle Ages in England and France, carols were dances accompanied by singing. In the French Midi, the "carol" was a kind of round dance. In time, the word "carol" changed its meaning, referring only to certain kinds of songs. The Anglo-Saxon tradition favoured gathering together small choirs on the village green to sing carols and Christmas songs for the pleasure of passers-by. Though in recent times a variety of new carols have been added, the old traditional ones remained a handful and hence it is estimated that each traditional carol is known to be repeated/ heard at least 700 or more times in a season! The legend of Santa has added to the list of Christmas songs, the likes of Jingle Bells and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer too….
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.12.2005: Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira: 3725 Sector-23, Gurgaon-122002.
Available at – tel no: 0124-4111025; on website www.maxwellpereira.com ; email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com
Thursday, 29 September 2005
No Dirty Hands, please…. !
By Maxwell Pereira
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
Talk about fads! And of public health awareness! The latest in the line is a survey cum study commissioned by the American Society of Microbiologists (ASM) on people’s behaviour after a visit to washrooms or public toilets. “Most people say they wash their hands after using the bathroom, but many of them are not telling the truth” – the study suggested. More importantly, the survey found that women were more diligent than men: 90 percent washed their hands, compared with only 75 percent of the men.
In a nationwide poll conducted this year in the USA between Aug.19 to Aug.23 by Harris Interactive, 1013 adults were interviewed about their hand washing habits after a visit to the toilet. Then observers were sent into public restrooms to see what actually happened. A female TV anchor presenting this report on the channel I watched, quipped she couldn’t help wondering what exactly the observers were observing, and how, in public toilets!
But coming to the point, ninety-one percent of adults had claimed in the poll that they washed their hands after using a public restroom. But of the 6,336 adults whose behaviour was observed, only 82 percent actually did so. People were not as conscientious as they say they were, the researchers demonstrated, comparing answers given in the telephone poll to observed behaviour.
The study has not been able to explain why though, and what accounted for the difference in male and female behaviour. Why men are so much less likely to wash than women! Probably because people who use urinals do not think they need to wash their hands? Much to the embarrassment of her male co-anchor, the same female TV anchor I watched did not flinch while declaring, “Why should it be so? It is men who have something to hold while using the urinal, not so the women!” Public officials, however, felt that the overall message is that most Americans do wash their hands after using the bathroom; though, “we still have a long way to go!”
Observations for the study were made at restrooms in six different locations. Only 74 percent of baseball fans at Turner Field in Atlanta washed up, an even lower percentage than the 79 percent among commuters at Penn Station in New York. With 88 percent of those using public bathrooms at the local Farmers’ Market, San Franciscans were found more hygienic, but those at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago with 89 percent were found more sanitary.
The telephone poll asked about hand washing habits in other situations as well. Fewer than half the adults said they always washed after touching pets, sneezing, coughing, or handling money. Washing hands after changing a baby’s diaper is also not a universal habit, as the study found only 64 percent of men and 82 percent of women reporting they did so. While most people wash up before handling food, there still were 23 percent of adults who said they regularly handled food without first washing.
While education and income level did have something to do with washing practices, it was not clear exactly what the difference meant. More people in the lesser income level said they washed their hands after handling money, than those with higher incomes who considered money not dirty enough to require washing after touching it. Takes me back to my childhood, when among the many taboos our growing up was saddled with, touching money was one too; for reasons more than one – mainly, because money was touched by lepers and beggars with diseases. A dettol wash was a must for touching money even inadvertently! Perhaps the presence of more money around in adulthood removed this phobia, but to what extent education has affected, I am not sure.
Michael T. Osterholm, chairman of the public health committee of the ASM has been quoted in the media saying, “It’s not about education, it is about hygiene education. We have a problem at hospitals with doctors and nurses who don’t wash their hands after attending to a patient. You can’t get more educated than that!”
Working for an American multi-national as a senior executive with plenty of public dealing, my daughter tells me how paranoid she is at having to shake hands with all and sundry in the course of routine work. No ‘namaste’ would do, as we Indians would want to. A firm man’s handshake it is… And so the anti-germ treatment to the rescue. Every half hour or so, she squeezes a bottle of disinfectant lotion on to her hands, placed conveniently around the work place. “So annoying, but can’t help it,” she confides!
All this makes me wonder, in the Indian context: India is one large public toilet, and what Indians need is toilet-training – someone had wisely observed! To cap it, with a toilet so large and extending through the length and breadth of the country, I wonder what the findings be if ever a similar study is conducted in India. Where would we fare against the 82 percent in America who washed hands after a visit to the toilet? Will the answer, “we wash, they wipe!” do?
A scene from Dev Benegal’s filmi version of Upamanyu Chatterjee’s “English, August” comes to mind: The young IAS officer on his first field posting to rural Madna patiently watches the taluk official he is to call on finish urinating with a healthy shake of his you know what – and understandably hesitates to take the same hand the official extends in greeting him; and worse, soon the official insists on the officer partaking from the cup of tea he so generously offers, with the same hands!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira; Sept 29, 2005.
Available for interaction at: 3725 Sector-23 Gurgaon-122017, National Capital Region – India.
Or on email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com & maxpk@vsnl.com; and website: http://www.maxwellpereira.com
mfjpkamath@gmail.com
Talk about fads! And of public health awareness! The latest in the line is a survey cum study commissioned by the American Society of Microbiologists (ASM) on people’s behaviour after a visit to washrooms or public toilets. “Most people say they wash their hands after using the bathroom, but many of them are not telling the truth” – the study suggested. More importantly, the survey found that women were more diligent than men: 90 percent washed their hands, compared with only 75 percent of the men.
In a nationwide poll conducted this year in the USA between Aug.19 to Aug.23 by Harris Interactive, 1013 adults were interviewed about their hand washing habits after a visit to the toilet. Then observers were sent into public restrooms to see what actually happened. A female TV anchor presenting this report on the channel I watched, quipped she couldn’t help wondering what exactly the observers were observing, and how, in public toilets!
But coming to the point, ninety-one percent of adults had claimed in the poll that they washed their hands after using a public restroom. But of the 6,336 adults whose behaviour was observed, only 82 percent actually did so. People were not as conscientious as they say they were, the researchers demonstrated, comparing answers given in the telephone poll to observed behaviour.
The study has not been able to explain why though, and what accounted for the difference in male and female behaviour. Why men are so much less likely to wash than women! Probably because people who use urinals do not think they need to wash their hands? Much to the embarrassment of her male co-anchor, the same female TV anchor I watched did not flinch while declaring, “Why should it be so? It is men who have something to hold while using the urinal, not so the women!” Public officials, however, felt that the overall message is that most Americans do wash their hands after using the bathroom; though, “we still have a long way to go!”
Observations for the study were made at restrooms in six different locations. Only 74 percent of baseball fans at Turner Field in Atlanta washed up, an even lower percentage than the 79 percent among commuters at Penn Station in New York. With 88 percent of those using public bathrooms at the local Farmers’ Market, San Franciscans were found more hygienic, but those at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago with 89 percent were found more sanitary.
The telephone poll asked about hand washing habits in other situations as well. Fewer than half the adults said they always washed after touching pets, sneezing, coughing, or handling money. Washing hands after changing a baby’s diaper is also not a universal habit, as the study found only 64 percent of men and 82 percent of women reporting they did so. While most people wash up before handling food, there still were 23 percent of adults who said they regularly handled food without first washing.
While education and income level did have something to do with washing practices, it was not clear exactly what the difference meant. More people in the lesser income level said they washed their hands after handling money, than those with higher incomes who considered money not dirty enough to require washing after touching it. Takes me back to my childhood, when among the many taboos our growing up was saddled with, touching money was one too; for reasons more than one – mainly, because money was touched by lepers and beggars with diseases. A dettol wash was a must for touching money even inadvertently! Perhaps the presence of more money around in adulthood removed this phobia, but to what extent education has affected, I am not sure.
Michael T. Osterholm, chairman of the public health committee of the ASM has been quoted in the media saying, “It’s not about education, it is about hygiene education. We have a problem at hospitals with doctors and nurses who don’t wash their hands after attending to a patient. You can’t get more educated than that!”
Working for an American multi-national as a senior executive with plenty of public dealing, my daughter tells me how paranoid she is at having to shake hands with all and sundry in the course of routine work. No ‘namaste’ would do, as we Indians would want to. A firm man’s handshake it is… And so the anti-germ treatment to the rescue. Every half hour or so, she squeezes a bottle of disinfectant lotion on to her hands, placed conveniently around the work place. “So annoying, but can’t help it,” she confides!
All this makes me wonder, in the Indian context: India is one large public toilet, and what Indians need is toilet-training – someone had wisely observed! To cap it, with a toilet so large and extending through the length and breadth of the country, I wonder what the findings be if ever a similar study is conducted in India. Where would we fare against the 82 percent in America who washed hands after a visit to the toilet? Will the answer, “we wash, they wipe!” do?
A scene from Dev Benegal’s filmi version of Upamanyu Chatterjee’s “English, August” comes to mind: The young IAS officer on his first field posting to rural Madna patiently watches the taluk official he is to call on finish urinating with a healthy shake of his you know what – and understandably hesitates to take the same hand the official extends in greeting him; and worse, soon the official insists on the officer partaking from the cup of tea he so generously offers, with the same hands!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy Right © Maxwell Pereira; Sept 29, 2005.
Available for interaction at: 3725 Sector-23 Gurgaon-122017, National Capital Region – India.
Or on email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com & maxpk@vsnl.com; and website: http://www.maxwellpereira.com
Friday, 19 August 2005
Crucial Goodwill
By Maxwell Pereira
In my email traffic the other day I had one from this young couple who wanted to adopt a baby. It was the lady who addressed me, but did not elaborate the reason why they preferred to adopt, just said, “…need some help – my husband and I are going ahead with bringing home a baby and give it tender loving care… required adoption papers also include a Police Verification from the SHO - that we do not have a criminal record… the police station when approached told us this will not be done easily, the application has to be submitted to the DCP Office on a stamp paper; from where after some ground work the papers will be sent to our local police station to work on; ….the run around’s been for some time…. no complaint, but an appeal for help; could you please guide…. the adoption papers have to be submitted within a stipulated time… my husband and I hold valid Indian passports, and both work as managers for good organisations”.
I replied and assured the lady she’d done right, the procedure she’d been told was also right – but to expedite, if in her opinion my ‘superannuated’ intervention would help, I’d oblige by speaking to either the SHO or the DCP. I waited not for her response, but rang up the concerned DCP, apprised him of the lady’s plight passing on to him her particulars, arranged for her an appointment, and then rang her back asking her to meet the DCP the next morning at the appointed hour.
Before the sun could set the next day, I was inundated with quite a few emails of thanks and appreciation – starting from the baby-adopting lady herself and from others she had spoken to about her unbelievable experience. She was euphoric with her delight. She with her husband had been to the DCP’s office that morning, who had heard her out patiently, and when she had finished, just presented her the verification certificate she had sought – with the compliments of the police department. Can any one really measure the mountain of goodwill the DCP earned for Delhi Police that day!?
350 words: 19.08.2005: Copyright © Maxwell Pereira:
For interaction, available at: 3725 Sector-23 Gurgaon-122001;
mfjpkamath@gmail.com & http:/www.planetindia.net.maxwell
In my email traffic the other day I had one from this young couple who wanted to adopt a baby. It was the lady who addressed me, but did not elaborate the reason why they preferred to adopt, just said, “…need some help – my husband and I are going ahead with bringing home a baby and give it tender loving care… required adoption papers also include a Police Verification from the SHO - that we do not have a criminal record… the police station when approached told us this will not be done easily, the application has to be submitted to the DCP Office on a stamp paper; from where after some ground work the papers will be sent to our local police station to work on; ….the run around’s been for some time…. no complaint, but an appeal for help; could you please guide…. the adoption papers have to be submitted within a stipulated time… my husband and I hold valid Indian passports, and both work as managers for good organisations”.
I replied and assured the lady she’d done right, the procedure she’d been told was also right – but to expedite, if in her opinion my ‘superannuated’ intervention would help, I’d oblige by speaking to either the SHO or the DCP. I waited not for her response, but rang up the concerned DCP, apprised him of the lady’s plight passing on to him her particulars, arranged for her an appointment, and then rang her back asking her to meet the DCP the next morning at the appointed hour.
Before the sun could set the next day, I was inundated with quite a few emails of thanks and appreciation – starting from the baby-adopting lady herself and from others she had spoken to about her unbelievable experience. She was euphoric with her delight. She with her husband had been to the DCP’s office that morning, who had heard her out patiently, and when she had finished, just presented her the verification certificate she had sought – with the compliments of the police department. Can any one really measure the mountain of goodwill the DCP earned for Delhi Police that day!?
350 words: 19.08.2005: Copyright © Maxwell Pereira:
For interaction, available at: 3725 Sector-23 Gurgaon-122001;
mfjpkamath@gmail.com & http:/www.planetindia.net.maxwell
Saturday, 6 August 2005
Survival.... !
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1920's,1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
(and to some of the youngsters, to learn what we dealt with!)
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but
we weren't overweight because
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
(and to some of the youngsters, to learn what we dealt with!)
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but
we weren't overweight because
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Thursday, 28 July 2005
The Ant - lessons from the tiny one...
One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather across my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.
At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of God's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also share human failings.
After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match.
How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole?
Of course it couldn't. so the ant, after all this trouble and execrising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden. Isn't life like that!
We worry about our family, we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with us...............
At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of God's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also share human failings.
After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match.
How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole?
Of course it couldn't. so the ant, after all this trouble and execrising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden. Isn't life like that!
We worry about our family, we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with us...............
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