It’s very surprising to me that I an introspective and shy person am now so fond of blogging. What exactly do I intend to achieve by this? I don’t know. But I intend to find out. For now I think it can be placed in the sane group as singing in the bathroom. You sing supposing the music (though not always) reaches your ears alone but secretly hope to catch a word of praise from an eavesdropper. Likewise while blogging I can share my innermost secrets and hope that they are read. During writing the last line I was struck by a rather unique aspect of our minds. Sharing a secret with no one and sharing it with everyone has the same meaning to the brain. Nah, I was wrong. Anonymity is the real issue here. But I feel there's something in that line.
Anyway I was going to write about taboos. Recently my sister had been to a debate comp. where the topic was “sex education in schools”. And strangely I, a supposedly ultra-modern person with all the knowledge and maturity I was boasting about, meekly changed to another topic. Why was that? I have been trying to think about the reason for a long time now. What is there in the topic of sex that, despite all education, elders shy away from discussing with the younger? Maybe it has something to do with how one is brought up. I was brought up in quite a conservative family in these regard. But a large appetite for Hollywood movies, English novels, and an early onset on adolescence hastened my acquaintance with sex. Furthermore completing a course of psychology and dreams made me see its effects on our varied day to day actions. Although how crude (forgive the choice of words) and base, sex could get I knew quite late actually. And yet here I am ……..mumbling the word whenever it occurs in a general discussion even though the context may be describing whether the person is a male or a female. I think such prudishness is pretty hopeless. But I can’t do away with it. I have tried many times to raise the topic near my brother and sister (both my juniors) and have failed. Probably as I am thinking the main fear we have to face with this topic is that the little ones have now come of age and that believe me is a terrifying thought for any parent or elder sibling. Once gone we sorely miss our childhood and hope it stays on with the young and we get to exercise the elder’s prerogative for ever. Thus we turn a blind eye to the fact that now they are not so young after all. Strange isn't it? But honestly what ever is the ancient force that’s holding us back should be done away with. Ironically taboos like those related to sex, deviant sexual habits, religion etc are the very topics that should be addressed widely and ones in which teenagers should be made aware of.
Hence I feel sex-education should definitely be introduced into the curriculum. But before that a more important issue has to be dealt with first……..that of teaching the teachers how to tackle this sensitive subject. Believe me many teachers screw up while teaching of a solitary chapter on reproductive system and over react to the expected giggling of students. Telling a class of girls and boys about sex will be a hell of a job for them. And heaven forbid if any of them decide to dictate notes and take class tests. Kids may get furious and decide never to make love in the future!!! What I mean is that introducing youngsters to sex is not enough. The introduction has to be done in a very systematic and matured manner so as to prevent any misconceptions.
I think I have made a pretty clean statement without blushing. Let us hope I have the courage to carry out what I have said. I certainly will give it a try sometime. For now its 5 in the moring and I better go to sleep now.
Anyway I was going to write about taboos. Recently my sister had been to a debate comp. where the topic was “sex education in schools”. And strangely I, a supposedly ultra-modern person with all the knowledge and maturity I was boasting about, meekly changed to another topic. Why was that? I have been trying to think about the reason for a long time now. What is there in the topic of sex that, despite all education, elders shy away from discussing with the younger? Maybe it has something to do with how one is brought up. I was brought up in quite a conservative family in these regard. But a large appetite for Hollywood movies, English novels, and an early onset on adolescence hastened my acquaintance with sex. Furthermore completing a course of psychology and dreams made me see its effects on our varied day to day actions. Although how crude (forgive the choice of words) and base, sex could get I knew quite late actually. And yet here I am ……..mumbling the word whenever it occurs in a general discussion even though the context may be describing whether the person is a male or a female. I think such prudishness is pretty hopeless. But I can’t do away with it. I have tried many times to raise the topic near my brother and sister (both my juniors) and have failed. Probably as I am thinking the main fear we have to face with this topic is that the little ones have now come of age and that believe me is a terrifying thought for any parent or elder sibling. Once gone we sorely miss our childhood and hope it stays on with the young and we get to exercise the elder’s prerogative for ever. Thus we turn a blind eye to the fact that now they are not so young after all. Strange isn't it? But honestly what ever is the ancient force that’s holding us back should be done away with. Ironically taboos like those related to sex, deviant sexual habits, religion etc are the very topics that should be addressed widely and ones in which teenagers should be made aware of.
Hence I feel sex-education should definitely be introduced into the curriculum. But before that a more important issue has to be dealt with first……..that of teaching the teachers how to tackle this sensitive subject. Believe me many teachers screw up while teaching of a solitary chapter on reproductive system and over react to the expected giggling of students. Telling a class of girls and boys about sex will be a hell of a job for them. And heaven forbid if any of them decide to dictate notes and take class tests. Kids may get furious and decide never to make love in the future!!! What I mean is that introducing youngsters to sex is not enough. The introduction has to be done in a very systematic and matured manner so as to prevent any misconceptions.
I think I have made a pretty clean statement without blushing. Let us hope I have the courage to carry out what I have said. I certainly will give it a try sometime. For now its 5 in the moring and I better go to sleep now.
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