As always, I enjoyed reading your post, starting with Jiggs. It brought back the comic to mind, after many decades, and each strip ending with Maggie giving him a whack saying 'You insect!' I was also reminded of the 90s when I got my first desktop computer and did not know how to use email. Then on a trip to Chennai to visit my mother, I learnt to do so from a computer shop in the basement of the apartment building, from a 22-year old teacher who zipped from step to step effortlessly. 'Please go back again, and explain to me slowly' I'd say. He just did not know the meaning of the word slow! Now its my grandson, all of 13 years old who steps in with the correct word when we do the NYT Spelling Bee or explains how to do all the bells-and-whistles on WhatsApp (which I anyway promptly forget and have to be taught again the next time). Ahh, age and youth, and the bridge between the two is the digital. Thank you.
Bringing up refers to raising a child. Upbringing will be bringing up plus character building .. Positively, or may be even negatively unawares, by wrong example setting... For, often character formation happens through observation and learning.
One key difference, how ever I feel, is that while in upbringing, there is a deep sense of CONSCIOUS responsibility, in the matter of bringing up, that need not necessarily be present( ie esp referred to in this article.. namely of parents by children or grand children), it would not enjoin that sense of any responsibility n accountability, but could be more by way of one upmanship.. ie casually most often😄. It should really be upto the parents or grand parents to realize that they need ( or don't) to keep pace with the changing times, within the limits of their willingness and ability to change, and seek assistance of children or grand children or just anybody else.
Good one Prasanna. I guess life moves on and adapting to change is not an option. Regarding teaching parents and kids, there is a nice song “Teach your children well” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. You may like it
"There are so many aspects of our lives that have either vanished or are in hibernation or have become simply a speck as we walk down Sunset Boulevard." Very true. I still remember the small red "Post Box" that was tied to one of the pillars of our ancestral home just near the entrance for the convenience of the villagers to post their letters which would be collected by the "mail man" who was also called "runner" while visiting in the afternoon. My mother used offer him a glass of 'buttermilk' seeing him sweating in the sweltering heat of summer as he was virtually running from one village to other to collect the letters and put in his large bag that he used to hang on his back. My mother used to remember the multiplication tables up to 20 and she could easily tell me the product of 17x17. In our times, it was compulsory to remember by heart the tables up to 16 in the elementary schools. With the arrival of calculators, there is a lot of rest for the brain these days...
I have looked forward to reading the comic strip 'Bringin up father' and enjoyed it from my younger days when my reading of the newspaper was limited to the 'Citizen' , 'Blondie' and 'Bringing up father' apart from the sports page. This issue of Filter Coffee transported me to the '60s & '70s faster than probably of any time machine likely to be invented.
Thank you Prasanna.
Have a great trip to Japan & back, and I hope to meet up with you and Geetha after that. Till then Sayonara !
Bringing Up Father was my great read every Sunday in Sunday Standard since my childhood. Thanks Prasanna for taking me back by over 50 years and making me nostalgic about my good old weekly sunday newspaper. I love your Filter Coffee !
As always, I enjoyed reading your post, starting with Jiggs. It brought back the comic to mind, after many decades, and each strip ending with Maggie giving him a whack saying 'You insect!' I was also reminded of the 90s when I got my first desktop computer and did not know how to use email. Then on a trip to Chennai to visit my mother, I learnt to do so from a computer shop in the basement of the apartment building, from a 22-year old teacher who zipped from step to step effortlessly. 'Please go back again, and explain to me slowly' I'd say. He just did not know the meaning of the word slow! Now its my grandson, all of 13 years old who steps in with the correct word when we do the NYT Spelling Bee or explains how to do all the bells-and-whistles on WhatsApp (which I anyway promptly forget and have to be taught again the next time). Ahh, age and youth, and the bridge between the two is the digital. Thank you.
Wow! What an excellent retro-narrative! Thank you!
Bringing up refers to raising a child. Upbringing will be bringing up plus character building .. Positively, or may be even negatively unawares, by wrong example setting... For, often character formation happens through observation and learning.
One key difference, how ever I feel, is that while in upbringing, there is a deep sense of CONSCIOUS responsibility, in the matter of bringing up, that need not necessarily be present( ie esp referred to in this article.. namely of parents by children or grand children), it would not enjoin that sense of any responsibility n accountability, but could be more by way of one upmanship.. ie casually most often😄. It should really be upto the parents or grand parents to realize that they need ( or don't) to keep pace with the changing times, within the limits of their willingness and ability to change, and seek assistance of children or grand children or just anybody else.
Very well differentiated Jai. Thank you.
Good one Prasanna. I guess life moves on and adapting to change is not an option. Regarding teaching parents and kids, there is a nice song “Teach your children well” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. You may like it
Thank Amar. Can you WhatsApp the link to the song.?
"There are so many aspects of our lives that have either vanished or are in hibernation or have become simply a speck as we walk down Sunset Boulevard." Very true. I still remember the small red "Post Box" that was tied to one of the pillars of our ancestral home just near the entrance for the convenience of the villagers to post their letters which would be collected by the "mail man" who was also called "runner" while visiting in the afternoon. My mother used offer him a glass of 'buttermilk' seeing him sweating in the sweltering heat of summer as he was virtually running from one village to other to collect the letters and put in his large bag that he used to hang on his back. My mother used to remember the multiplication tables up to 20 and she could easily tell me the product of 17x17. In our times, it was compulsory to remember by heart the tables up to 16 in the elementary schools. With the arrival of calculators, there is a lot of rest for the brain these days...
Jiggs brought back fond and hilarious memories.
Having become grandparents recently totally identify with what you have penned.
I have looked forward to reading the comic strip 'Bringin up father' and enjoyed it from my younger days when my reading of the newspaper was limited to the 'Citizen' , 'Blondie' and 'Bringing up father' apart from the sports page. This issue of Filter Coffee transported me to the '60s & '70s faster than probably of any time machine likely to be invented.
Thank you Prasanna.
Have a great trip to Japan & back, and I hope to meet up with you and Geetha after that. Till then Sayonara !
Thank you Manju.
Bringing Up Father was my great read every Sunday in Sunday Standard since my childhood. Thanks Prasanna for taking me back by over 50 years and making me nostalgic about my good old weekly sunday newspaper. I love your Filter Coffee !
Thank you Vikesh.