It
was Sunday evening and my daughter had insisted that she wanted to go the
"slide park", a place I love to avoid on weekends. So we arrived at
the only reasonably well maintained park closest to home with functional play
equipment, a rarity in Mumbai.
A
look through the fence and I knew that
the next hour or two were going to be extremely nerve wracking with all senses
on high alert. It was as if every child of whatever age in this city was there
to play in the only existing park accompanied by their parents, grandparents,
friends, maids, servants, drivers, uncles and aunts.
We
made our way through the chaos to a multi-purpose piece of play equipment. It
was part jungle gym attached to a fiberglass mini rock wall that allowed you to
climb to a mini slide followed by a step up to a steep slide with rollers on
one side and steel climbing net on the other. Towards the end were a spiral
slide and an angular board walk with steel chain for support. Basically it was
a piece of equipment that as a parent you would be scared to let your child get
onto but hugely popular with all children. I must state here that safety was
the last thing it's designers had in mind. I have seen at least one child being
pushed off this installation from a height of approximately 12 feet falling
head first. Luckily the ground surface being rubberized, there were no
injuries.
Anyway
there we were standing at the base looking up at the monstrosity of an exercise
machine teeming with kids from the ages of 2 to juveniles of 17 all wanting a
piece of action. A young mother no older than 20 who had possibly lost out on
her childhood also formed part of it. Everyone was in a hurry to climb up and
be the first to come down from whichever form of exit. Many of the impatient
ones were going up the slide the wrong way trampling those on the way down.
There was that odd maid or parent also climbing up with their reluctant wards
to ensure that they were at the same growth level as their peers. Not to forget
the high school students who were playing tag and running and pushing away
whoever came in their way. Obviously this place was meant for all children
including that inner child within all adults.
My
daughter was already climbing up the steps and had become a part of the
confusion. There was no looking back and my eyes were firmly on her movements. I
could hear her admonishing someone for having pushed her. As she made her way
to the slide, she waited till all the pushers had gone down and ensured that no
one was climbing up the wrong way before she slid down. That's when I saw the
real picture. This is what life is all about.
As
I looked hard around the play area, it became even more clear that this is the
snap shot of our daily lives. This is what one would or rather should expect in
adult life.
Let
me put my thoughts to spiel.
You
have kids going up the wrong way on a slide trampling on those coming down and
feeling no remorse about it. Pretty much the same about motorists who go the
wrong way or take an illegal turn and put your and others life to danger while
you stick to the rules.
Then
you have those pushing and shoving others out of their way in a rush to be
ahead of everyone. That's what office politics and competition is all about. It's
like those who will push their way into a local train to grab the window seat.
Again you are the injured one following the rules.
Then
there are the much older kids and sometimes adults too wanting to play around and
hogging the play equipment. This would be the big corporations entering
businesses which are primarily the reserve of small scale industries or
corporations usurping rights of locals. This will go on till some parent
protests, others join in and the security guard called in to bring down the
perpetrators. Something like what a government will do when small businesses or
local groups protest.
Next
you have those kids whose parents haul them up and place them on the slide
while the kid whose turn is next has to wait for the slide to clear. These are
the ones with influence who will be placed at the top while you struggle to get
there.
Then
of course there is the security guard. Old and well past his retirement age. He
spends most of his time on the chair by the entrance gate occasionally
questioning the single adult walking in and blowing his whistle randomly. Very
few people will approach him with complaints for any of the above situations
knowing that by the time he reacts, the situation may no longer exist. For
those who do will be met with a response that not much can be done and the offenders
will repeat their acts. Once in a while to show that he is alive, this guard
will take a walk along the periphery of the rides and play equipment blowing
his whistle randomly. This is like an overworked, understaffed, underpaid or
indifferent management, regulator or government who is available, visible,
aware but unable or reluctant to do anything. You will either accept what is
going on, protest once in a while and/or simply move out.
The
point I am making is that some realities lie right in front of you and you
don't have to go too far to know what lies ahead. However much I may hate this
place, it is in my child's interest that I bring her here so she can deal with
what may come her way in her adult life. And it has worked to some extent. A
year back she would give way to someone pushing her or wait till the slide
clears off before she can begin her descent. Now she holds her ground. She
still prefers to admonish the kid pushing her but does not hesitate to pull
back someone cutting the line. Some lessons to prepare for life need to start
early.
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