Are gadgets here to make our lives easy? Or are they here to rule us? Unfortunately, most of the Millennials seem to have known no other life.

I can’t help but feel like that old man in the video below when I look at the idiots who risk their lives and others’ when they drive their bikes in traffic with one hand, the other holding a phone to their ears. Recently, I was at the busy Bombay airport and I couldn’t stop staring at this girl. Airport restrooms are notoriously unclean and flooded, especially in India. I saw a girl come in with a large smartphone clutched between one ear and shoulder, the other hand pulling a cabin bag. She was busy talking loudly on the phone. She entered a toilet stall the same way, continued talking on the phone loudly while doing her business, then came out the same way with the phone clutched between her ear and shoulder and proceeded to wash her hands similarly. She did not interrupt her phone ritual the entire time she navigated the wet floors and dozens of people.

What is so important that these people have to jabber into some mouthpiece all the time? I wonder how the risk of dropping these expensive gizmos and the cost of replacing them doesn’t daunt them.

They say, we should be happy for the small pleasures of life. And it is times such as these when I actually pity the younger generation and thank God that I did not have email growing up.

Things were so different when I was a child. A holiday from school was spent in some group activity that guaranteed scraped knees and muddy clothes. Our pursuits changed according to season. In the rains and spring, we chased butterflies in the neighbor’s garden. Dry weather guaranteed hide & seek, Cops and Robbers, Tag games etc. Then during Diwali, there was the fort to be built. We carried small rocks and bricks, designed the fort and created the structure. Special mud or clay was sneaked away from sand piles at construction sites and used to ‘cement’ the fort. Then some mustard seeds were sprinkled on these structures, and we meticulously watered the fort until a green layer surrounded them. Then on Diwali day, we would place earthen diyas or lamps inside these structures.

Spring brought Holi and water games, and so did summer. The darkest cloud on our horizon was the onslaught of exams. We were all really together, come rain or shine. And the bonds that were forged will never be forgotten.

What is togetherness if not spending time with family and friends away from the routine of daily lives? It means more when it is done amidst Nature. Planting a seed, watering it and watching it grow and bear fruit is an education in itself, because it illustrates the circle of life.

As a child, I loved watching my mother plant her roses and jasmine, and then wait patiently until they bloomed. It was nice to learn that something similar is afoot in Kissanpur. Kissan has come up with a great initiative where they are encouraging people to plant some seeds, and create their own small piece of paradise. Take a look and don’t miss this opportunity to whisk your loved ones away on an exhilarating journey of fun and togetherness.