My April mornings started with newspaper, tea and a bundle of brochures. The brochures were all about the camps and holiday coaching sessions that came as a harbinger of the summer holidays. It made me nostalgic and took me down the memory lane to my school days. Those days we yearned and waited impatiently for the summer holidays. There weren’t too many summer camps (except computer classes and scouts and guides camps).
I felt a sense of loss going through the brochures. I could have sharpened and optimised my skills if such camps were available during my school days. But soon the thoughts took a U-turn; yeah, my summer holidays were not that bad.
The best thing we had then was to visit our grandparents. Our cousins and neighbours all formed a big gang. We used to play a variety of indoor games like carroms and Ludo. We got our dose of Vitamin D by engaging in games such as shuttle badminton and cycling. We spent time reading books borrowed from the library and participating in local festivals. We used to visit the zoo, museums and other interesting destinations. Most of the time was spent in the company of nature, green fields and crystal-clear streams.
We had our arts club, with generous donations from our elders to take care of the expenses for our dance and skit performances. There were also contests and prizes for the audience. In short, we were interning in Finance and Event Management.
Looking back, I feel the summer holidays helped me groom myself and polish my skills. We had so many practical situations to boost our talent in an enjoyable manner. The games and other activities and the proximity to nature strengthened physical and mental stamina and interpersonal skills. Leadership and team-building skills deepened a sense of value for relationships. These were some of the takeaways of holidays.
Wish I got summer vacations in my corporate career as well!
saritha.sandeepunny@gmail.co
