What are you good at?

The narrative follows a fourteen-year-old boy and illustrates a child journey from bullying to creativity. He is plagued by fear and low self-esteem. This is due to harsh treatment from his father after his failure in exams. His upbringing is marked by bullying and a lack of encouragement, leading to his withdrawal and rebellious silence. Despite his struggles, he discovers creativity through art and photography, which later becomes a passion. Eventually, he finds success in a corporate job, realizing the importance of love and support in childhood for personal growth. Now retired, he reflects on how positive upbringing shapes responsible citizens.

Journey

Gloomy and wailing, he was wandering undecidedly along the ripe crops in the fields. He has had many fears in his mind. The greatest fear was of receiving beatings, blue and black, from his irascible father. His heart sank at the thought of punishment because he had not cleared his board examination. He had failed.

Though he failed in the examination and feared many fallouts, he did not stop. It is the journey of a child from parents’ bullying to creativity and onward. Let us embark on the child’s journey to see his evolution.

Teenager’s plight

The teenager felt helpless. Fearing impending ostracism and receiving heavy blows as a punishment for his “failure”. Failing an examination was a big crime in his time. A failure tagged as a brat. Pushing the boy to feel the guilt about his “crime”, repeatedly reminded of his failure. The boy never got consolation or encouragement. He knew nothing except for punishments and bullying. (Our Mental Health)

(a) Harsh treatments

The harsh treatment, persistent bullying, and captious treatment made him retreat into a shell. He gradually slipped into a den of lost self-confidence and belief. A feeling of worthlessnes ingrained in his psyche. It started showing its traits.

(b) Lack of self-confidence

His lack of self-confidence made him hesitant. He was never at ease when taking on any work or assignment. Continual criticism, undermining his abilities, and the absence of encouragement prevented him from realising his positive and creative potential. He was fearful of laughing.

Children are not property

Though physical thrashing lessened with time, it was replaced by an even more abusive and inconducive wringing. Severe verbal torture and demeaning statements were common. Parents believed that siblings must be kept under strict control. They found thrashing as an effective tool. The elder progeny used to be the main receiver. He was a punching bag. They thought that it would send a message to the younger ones. Parents treat children as property. Regardless of the thought process of the time, it was seriously harming the developing children. His personality waned fast, and his confidence was at its lowest ebb. Whenever a teacher asked a question in the class, pointing to him for an answer, he would become restless. Despite knowing the answer, he used to stagger and stammer.

(a) A child deserves love and care

A child is solely dependent on their parents. S/he deserves love, affection and care, besides a congenial and secure homely environment. Parents are the only people the child seeks safety with. In distress or difficulty child looks at them. In a properly treated child, the confidence level grows optimally, encouraging them to excel. Discipline is essential. It, nevertheless, ought to be inculcated properly. Punishment is sometimes necessary, but it is curative. Creativity gives wings to children. As a child grows, they often face bullying from their parents. Hidden creativity becomes the driving force in these situations. It is the journey of a child from parents’ bullying to creativity.

(b) Impressionable mind

A growing child is like a clay pot. A raw clay pot needs shaping and trimming before placing it in the oven for firing. Similarly, a child needs grooming. The impressionable mind of a child picks up things from their surroundings. They test it to their knowledge and seek the expert opinion of their parents or teachers. It is, thus, important to quench a child’s curiosity properly and satisfactorily. Children are delicate, hence they need to be treated properly.

(c) Complaining parents

Most parents often complain about their siblings. They keep on complaining ad nauseam, never satisfied with their children. Some deliberately demean and insult their child in front of guests or an unknown person. Parents feel offended and start punishing their wards without knowing the truth. It casts a bad impression on the impressionable minds of the child. It is not good for the proper development of a child. A balanced approach is thus essential.

The best way

The best way is to inculcate good human values. Positive qualities like politeness, respect, righteousness, and balanced behaviour are required in a child. For this, parents have to be self-restrained and show good conduct before children. A close vigil is essential to keep watch of their behaviour and habits. The carrot and stick policy is a tried and tested way to keep a balance. Children have to be taught about the difference between a prize and a punishment.

(a) Is it that difficult?

It seems rosy, easier said than done, but it is not that difficult. One can’t foresee the unpredictable future. It, nonetheless, is manageable. Expecting sweet, juicy fruit from an Acacia tree is a futile idea. We reap what we sow. The main thrust should, hence, be on the deeds. Honest and right efforts would give the best results. A gardener works hard. He plants flowering saplings and takes good care of them by weeding the beds, watering, and adding compost. The yields are beautiful and vibrant flowers that enchant the beholder. Children are like vibrant flowers who deserve good and humane treatment to bloom. It is mandatory, not optional. Parents and teachers are the gardeners. Their roles are vital, and they must realise it.

Psyche of a teenager

Coming back to our protagonist, who has become etiolated in the absence of proper care. He will have to carry his burden for the rest of his life. Like his peers, he was talented and intelligent, but his growth was hindered by negative conditions. He was lugging heavy loads of parental expectations. In the child’s journey to creativity, parents often bully him. Comparing with other children, they humiliate and torture their child on flimsy issues. At times, as a punishment, he was kept starved. The unreasonably absurd treatment gradually poisoned his psyche. He became a silent rebel but would never express his indignation. When instigated, he would silently cry in isolation.

Creativity Started

Once, he created a piece of art. It was a nice colourful paper lantern. He was amazed to see his own creation. “I can also do something!” he murmured to himself. He hung it on the terrace. It enthralled him as it gently swung in the gentle breeze, waving its trails. His joy doubled when he overheard appreciative comments about his creation by neighbours talking to his parents. For the first time, he realised that he had talent outside the ambit of conventional study.

(a) Small is beautiful

Unconsciously, he started origami and created some nice pieces of paper craft. He enjoyed creating clay models of fruits and household things. His imaginary prowess was yet to bud, but he could create and draw sketches while watching others’ craft. He learned it by himself, which became his favourite pastime. Though good at drawing, he couldn’t draw on his own.

What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up? Insights from Childhood Aspirations

(b) Photography

In the later part of life, he developed a liking for photography. Its seeds were sown during his childhood. He used to see roadside photographers doing their work with curiosity. It fascinated him to see a man with a big box-like structure on a heavy wooden tripod. The man created pictures in just a few minutes. The heavy structure with a small lens at one end of the box would amuse him. For focusing purposes, the box had the provision of onward and backward movement. can move onward or backwards to keep focusing on the object. The man behind the box appeared to do magical acts. He dipped his hands deep in a bag-like structure attached to the box. He instantly produced a monochrome portrait of a person.

Budding love for Photography

His love for photography grew with time. He first held a 35 mm SLR film camera when he was on an excursion tour with his classmates. The experience was awesome. He was more interested in taking pictures as it allowed him to hold the camera. The buttons, focusing ring, aperture adjustments and light estimation would fascinate him. Interest grew, and he became an amateur photographer who kept on experimenting.

Turning point

(a) The Job

The setup works strangely. No one appears happy with the job they are doing to earn their living. It seems like every screw is either too tight or too loose. He was not an exception.

(b) Job obtained

After much struggle, he ended up on a table job. They used to call it a “white-collar job”. For people outside his world, he was a gentleman who worked in a big corporate office. He, though, knew that he was a mere clerk. He was a file pusher. His job was to push files and papers from one table to another.

(c) Wholehearted work

Yet, there was a silver lining. The job he was doing was not of his choice, but rather his compulsion and necessity; he worked hard. Instead of grumbling, he soon learned to cope with the situation and worked wholeheartedly. This taught him about official procedures, rules, regulations and citations. He learned to use them effectively. This made him shine prominently. Management noticed it. His work was recognised and rewarded. He, who never got recognition and encouragement, was now appropriately recognised. Superiors used to consult him, and soon he became an asset to the organisation.

Superannuation

He is now a superannuated person. He feels satisfied with his job because it gives him a place to stand and a livelihood. It also gave him recognition. Now he feels he is worth it and good at work. He tells about the journey of a child from parents’ bullying to creativity. He tells everyone that parents’ bullying during a child’s journey damages the psyche and creativity. Creativity assists in engagements and evolution. A child needs decent behaviour, love and security. It helps shape a child into a responsible citizen of the country. He always maintains that proper training and hard work can do wonders. One must be good at his work and enjoy it.

Also read:

• The Evolution of Photography: From Film to Digital
• Exploring the Essence of Human Creativity
• The Journey from Illness to Strong Immunity
• What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up? Insights from Childhood Aspirations
• Navigating Difficult Relationships: Finding Positivity

-END-