Fame and Sundry….

“I don’t care if I am famous mamma” said my seven year old son on his drive back home from cricket coaching.

I was baffled and didn’t know what to make of this confounding statement. He who negotiates hard with tooth fairy, he who plans his next entertainment, birthday gifts like a professional planner, he who knows the power of a sulky whine or a pleasing smile to wriggle out of any wrangle, had suddenly discovered zen!

I knew better. After all, I am the mom. So I asked point blank “Why are you going to be famous ?” He didn’t disappoint, pat came the reply “I will be an all-rounder cricketer!”

I guess being an avid TV viewer of world-class cricket, he understood that with his life’s aim, there is a real hazard of fame. Fame, to him, meant that he shall end up being the centre of attention of a crowd, an overwhelming thought to a tiny seven year old. So after careful internal deliberation, he had declared aloud that he didn’t care about fame as long as he gets his hearts desire to be an all-rounder cricketer.

In today’s materialistic world, even our kids are not spared from aspirations and desires invoked directly or indirectly by media, society, and sometimes family themselves. In the ‘busy’ness of life, there is no time to chase our dreams. We end up pushing and applying ourselves towards wrong goals. Whatever happened to passion?

In his innocent pursuit of current passion, cricket, the little one is willing to brave all odds. Life lessons are truly taught by young ones. The child is truly the father of man.