Ideal Musings

Today, I had to drive my mom around (this is the weirdest way to start a post). Anyway, I will not get into the details of what and how and just get to the point: it involved going to a school. A very quaint old school in Chembur. It was just one storey tall and looked as if it could do with some upgrades. 

This was where I realised a couple of things:

1. I have not seen a school from the inside in a very long time
2. I do not know what upgrades schools have currently got compared to ten years back

Due to the above reasons, I could not decide if the school was good or bad (considering it was a Sunday and it was closed for the usual business). 

However, I did see a few things that made me think. Outside every class window, there hung these ‘sayings’ which are supposed to build a strong human character. These were the same lines which we were taught in school. And I was happy that they are still trying to instill them. The world seems so different than what it was when I was in school. It seems just more, layered. Everything is layered. Maybe it always was like this.

I am practical enough to realise that nothing much has changed in the way humans interacted then and the way we do now. The means have changed. But we are still the same fools. Just that new means of interaction have allowed us to do our foolery faster than ever before.

I am sure the people who taught me in school knew about all this. They knew what the world is like. Why did they still tell me these things? I feel cheated by all of them. But I guess if they would have gave us a reality check at 6, all of us would simply dread growing up. 

Idon’t know what exactly went through my mind when I read these lines. I was not sure if these words hold true. If these words do not hold true, why do we use them to lie to kids? How much longer will we keep trying in vain to create ideal men? It is not possible to do it this way. 

I don’t know what the solution is. Or maybe, I don’t know what the problem is.