CHILD AS THE FATHER OF MAN (19-Dec-2021)

 

Famous poet William Wordsworth in his poem “My Heart Leaps Up” wrote “The Child Is Father of the Man.”  It implies that if any experience in adulthood is similar or same as that in childhood it makes it a better experience given the journey through life stages.

Human beings are essentially a final product of some balance of nature and nurture components, the underlying substrata of the vast and ever-growing field of psychology.  The debate goes on, like they say till the ‘cows come home,’ as to which component has a stronger influence to shape an individual in later years.  I have no formal education in psychology but a fleeting interest to dabble into a few articles and form my opinion.

My take is that in early years one’s genes shape an individual until they experience certain life-defining moments which harden their personality.  Destiny then defines their travel into the deep years of age.  A proverb in kannada which when translated states that a young sapling is indicative of the quality of the tree it grows into later.

Our two daughters were provided the same stimuli but then the responses turned out to be different.  While the older one turned her attention to medical science, the younger one has pursued behavioral science.  While I proclaim that they are as different as chalk and cheese, the startling fact is that they both chase cheese in all its forms for their gastronomical pursuits.  The older one has remained stoic and balanced throughout.

My younger one must have been a couple of years old.  It rained cats & dogs on a night when probably the thunder and lightning kept her awake.  We heard hard noise like pelting of stones, pounding the roof of the car parked next to the room window.  The next moment we knew it was a ‘hailstorm.’  Interestingly hailstorm in Kannada language is called ‘Alikallu,’ but colloquial reference has been ‘Aanekallu.’  Once again in Kannada language, Aane is an elephant and kallu is stone; the hailstorm sound effects akin to fireworks must have fired the young one’s imagination!

The little one’s unadulterated mind put forth an innocent question: ‘Where is the elephant standing and throwing the stones thus creating this noise?’  This loaded question was a bolt-from-the-blue.  Little later when she eased into slumber, we parents were left wide-eyed hit by a thunder of a question in the way her imagination ran wild!

The little one started pre-school in the neighbourhood.  Her older sister was just getting into first grade in the same school.  The older one had received a report card from the pre-school graduation that read ‘Outstanding.’  The family rejoiced and celebrated the moment.  Right at that moment, the little one unpretentiously exclaimed ‘Does this mean that akka (elder sister) will have to stand outside the classroom from tomorrow?’

We learn infinitely from our children, particularly during their younger years.  Later in life as they grow up to be young adults they are besmirched by the journey of life.  Their thought processes can stand derailed shaped by the society and any negative influences, leading them to take opinionated actions.  But then during the early years the thoughts are pristine and very original and uncontaminated.

The child as a father of man - is it a writing on the wall for us to expect a lot more inquisitive questions from our younger daughter?  Or would nurture takeover to bail us out?  Or does it matter at all since in diversity we witness the silver lining?

Thou shalt share similar experiences to enlighten others…go on!