Just My Musings

Yes, you read that right. Vowels are now  They-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named . Or so I am given to understand, by most of the text messages I receive. No matter what age group the sender belongs to, nobody seems to be using vowels anymore.  I can understand why people who are totally preoccupied with their online identity do this. They simply have got no time to waste on typing vowels. They have at least ten social media accounts to maintain simultaneously. Posts of their own to edit and upload, that of others to check, follow, like and 'heart'; several selfies to edit, 'filter', touch up and enhance to an extent that would shock somebody who meets them in person for the first time as they would look nothing like their picture; many comments to write and numerous things to scrutinize and find politically incorrect.  If they start focusing on proper spelling, they might not be left with any time to spare on other trivia like sleep, a disciplined routine or, God forbid, a few mom...

  1980s Our family vacation draws to a close . We have four hours left to catch the train back home. We decide to wait in a park.  There is a woman selling tender coconuts outside the gates. As I play with my cousins on the slide, we are joined by her kids. Merry, energetic and giddy with  boisterous mirth, they make terrific playmates.  My mother and aunt lay out  the packed lunch in a shaded spot and summon us to eat.  As we race to the makeshift picnic table, our playmates join us. The ladies hand us the loaded paper plates to be passed around, automatically giving us a few extra , which we spontaneously offer to our new-found friends. Their eyes light up. I joke and laugh with them over a delicious meal, unconsciously forming an indelible memory of a simple but profoundly delightful experience. 2020s We are a group of neighbours strolling around a park, as our children run about and play. As we sit down for a rest, our kids take a break and come running...