This is a guest post by Nirmala Pillai, an ex-Civil service officer . Now a full time writer and painter . She has published three books of poems one collection of short stories and her latest is a novel called Secrets of Mango Rain. Lately the book received the Yathakatha international film and Literature festival best debut fiction ( female) Award.
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Eyes are not only the windows to our soul but the most precious gift from god. This is a narrative from my personal experience many decades ago. After coming from school, I would complain that, “The school blackboard is blurred and I cannot see far away things or read clearly”. But my friends wore glasses and they thought I was making it up, so that I too could wear glasses. However, they would also ask me why I came home with incomplete notes in the book. Later, my parents regretted not paying heed to my words for the rest of their lives.
My parent’s words created a constant struggle inside me . I thought I spoke the truth and why wouldn’t they listen or understand. To keep up my ranking and answer questions it was disturbing and painful . It made me sad and moody.
In my generation almost fifty years ago there were no annual dental and eye check up for kids. Parents took the kids to the family doctor for all the medical advice. Since I did fairly well in school they did not consider I had an eye problem. When parents and grandparents did not need glasses how could a seven year old wear them!
My rank in class hovered around sixth or seventh. Only when I complained of headaches I was taken to the Eye Doctor / Ophthalmologist . I was already twelve years old by then. My parents were shocked and dismayed when the ophthalmologist prescribed very high numbered glasses. He told them that if they had come much earlier, he could have helped me.
My parents who were hands on parents, loved and took advance care of each of our needs life long, felt guilty and regretted not paying more attention. My mother narrated the story to all with tears in her eyes . They felt they failed me some how by not paying heed to me. It was also a sore point, as in that generation girls wearing glasses was not good for the marriage market. They were looked at as disabled. I remember I was teased in school as Double Battery because of my thick glasses.
Now science and Technology has solved many problems with laser and disposable lens!
But it can still happen. Sometimes kids complain of stomach ache or leg pain when they dislike something or don’t want to go to school etc . They don’t know how to express themselves and know they can get their parents attention by the word pain; this may be the way to make parents heed and listen.
Hence when they describe about strange, unfamiliar experiences or use new words and actions in their narrative , keep your eyes and ears open. Listen to them; heed them and gently find out the reason for that form of talk or strange ways of expression.
This is a small example . Times have changed and in this age of digital revolution and internet generation kids are smarter, bolder and practical. Still the need for caution and care, knowing about the world they inhabit and the eco system they exist in becomes absolutely essential. The friends they mix with, their dreams their aspirations, their dislikes and likes , so that you are a friend and always around for them to help along the way.
This post is a part of “International Day of Persons with Disability” blog hop hosted by Sakshi Varma – Tripleamommy. #IDPD2024Bloghop. Access all posts of this bloghop at https://tripleamommy.com/2024/12/02/beyond-barriers-amplifying-voices-for-inclusion-marking-idpd-2024/
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Regards, Sakshi aka tripleamommy
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