Letters to the Editor – History Snippets

It has never made sense to me why would someone’s feedback be printed about an article which has been already printed and for no reason be changed? What’s done is done.

I decide to read the section with a #justdoit thought- I mean, the motivation is literally all over the place. I read the letters, all of them. Nothing extraordinary and almost a Gen Z child behavior – I move on to the other sections. Yet, my curiosity isn’t satiated, convinced my brain that it is to be read with a desire to actually interpret and understand. Universal behavior these days, a habit of scrolling every second possible.

I read them, again. The penny dropped. They do serve a purpose. The purpose of reminding us that we still possess the ability to read and use our brains. We can read, if we care to, ( Instagram consumes us). The articles unite and segregate the families- Power of opinionated yet factual divide. They also reflect the essence of the past, for readers as old as my grandmother ( 77) wrote a post to the editor explaining their discontent of partial or incorrect usage of the word – normalcy instead of normality.

The one letter that reminded me of a lesson my father gave me for my “ Facebook cool-arrogant- independent behaviour-” is by a reader from Bengaluru, “ As a reader for over seven decades, I can recollect the past- weekly contributions by RK Narayan( writer), T.A. Krishnamacharya ( chess), GD Boaz( psychology) and many others which ensured a treasure trove in terms of material to read. In the mid-1940s, my grandfather, a retired judge, was deeply upset when he read a banner headline:’ Restore the cut.’ He gave me a long explanation on how it was all wrong to describe ‘ a cut’ that can be ‘restored’. He felt an eminent daily ought to have been more careful. “ This clearly implies if parents read, you read, and together you preach each other the acceptance of accuracy.

In the age of instant results, incomplete research, and lack of interest to correct- Chalta hai toh Chalne do- Mere kya? is making us anxious for something that might not even exist in the first place. Are we missing out on something? Yes, we are. Conscious and cognitive thinking.

It ultimately boils down to the fact that the surroundings you stay in, the mentors you look up to, the friends you make are all your conscious choices and subconsciously building you step by step. I cannot guarantee if the building will topple or not, for the foundation is being made by you. However, if you use reading and conversations with the people who have experienced history in the mixture, one day you might just become a substantial part of it.

History doesn’t remember the common 1000 horses that ran through states to chase an enemy, it remembers the efforts, the leader, and outcomes.

Curious Reader,

Spongebobwithnosquarepants

P.s. I intend to read this section every day, if curious to know more of my learnings, let us know!