Page 30 - Seniorstoday Aug 2024 Issue
P. 30
Essay
Common Sense Is Very Uncommon
Malti Gaekwad observes scenarios where uncommon sense takes precedence…
Common sense is very uncommon. We you never expected. I will give you an
have often heard it, but do you realise interesting example.
how often we ourselves make mistakes It happened to a friend of mine who
which can be commonly avoided. was travelling in a rickshaw with her
*In the days of the landline, something small children. We are quite used to
we saw very often... and it may still be seeing pictures of Bollywood heroes in
happening somewhere. When somebody the rickshaw promoting a movie. This
we wanted to avoid speaking to, called, one had superstar Rajesh Khanna on one
we would tell the children to tell the caller side and Amitabh Bachchan on the other.
- “Papa ghar pe nahi hai.” And often the My friend’s little daughter was highly
child would say - “Papa keh rahe hain ki impressed by the two heroes... And tried to
vah ghar per nahin hai.” That was a fiasco kiss the pictures in her excitement as she
which could have been avoided. Funny as came face to face in close proximity. My
it might sound now, did we realise that we friend tried to tell her daughter that she
were teaching the children to tell a lie? should not do anything like this... As the
*Children are smart; they pick up things hero is also just another human being! The
from what they see around them. Often kids kept quiet and settled down for the
they remember things that parents have ride.
told them in one context but will surprise After a couple of days, their grand aunt
you by using that same logic at a place came to visit them... And granny asked
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