ISLAMABAD:
I was born in a small village near Tehsil Kahuta in Rawalpindi. When I grew up, there were no proper schools in the locality. A teacher from a nearby village, a couple of miles away, used to come on foot in order to teach the children of our village. My first year of education was spent under an Oak tree while the next year classes were conducted under a phalli tree. It was only during my third year that I was finally moved to a somewhat proper school a few miles away. As I grew older, I realised that every time I graduated, I had to travel even farther to receive higher education.
I attended a high school at Kallar Syedan which was more than five miles away. Due to the lack of transport, I had to force myself to rise early in the morning in order to reach school on time. Sometimes I would hear the school bell from far away while I ran towards the gates that would slowly be closing in on me. Although travelling such a distance would be rather tiresome, I always took time out to help my mother with house chores. Now, times have changed. Life has become much easier due to technology. However, instead of being thankful, I often see the newer generation fleeing from household responsibilities. It is as if they tend to take everything for granted.
One doesn’t expect them to toil like the children of older generations, but the least they can do is appreciate what life has given them and use their energies to achieve more. Instead, they seek shortcuts for everything in life. Parents of newer generations must make their children work from an early age so that they can appreciate the importance of hard work.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2021.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
