I've been searching myself for a while now. I don't even remember when I had a grab on myself last, but I discovered that only a few months back. Credit goes to my former colleague Madhusudan Srinivas, his son Abhmanyu and gang, and of course Kanika – who came up with the idea of Playtime Delhi.
Why wrote this is because I felt like and again the credit goes to Madhu. I used to write in school and in college, and then I stopped. I stopped because I wouldn’t feel like writing, I wouldn't feel like writing because I think I stopped feeling altogether. The only time I wrote was for work because I was paid to do so. Even on this blog I was never active because I lost touch with my inner self. But when I wrote this piece I really wondered that how I could live without doing something, the only thing I did best, writing!
It was a learning experience to be around these kids, Abhimanyu, Vivan, Vishu. I'm sure there are many more like them in this city, country and the planet, and I only wish that one day I'll get a chance to be around them all.
Clinically, these kids might be called Autistic but personally I think they are at par with any of us and at times, better. Madhu mentioned that they'd have a chance to learn and better themselves in our presence, but I think that we would learn more from them.
Stumbling, getting up again, trying again, cheering for themselves, no ill feeling against anyone, no completion, nothing to regret about, no money driven goals.... They are so much better people than the so called "Normal" human beings.
Even today there are people ignorant enough to call children with special needs – Retards. But I think such people are retards. These kids are smart I tell you. At times smarter than anyone of us. They just need the right kind of presence around them and they can be their own boss.
It has been quite a while since I hung out with them due various reasons but I look forward to spending more quality time with them and rediscovering myself.
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