This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 4; the fourth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.Well since everyone is doing it, I thought I should write something about it too. But honestly I don’t like the topic. I don’t understand how and why people are writing about this? You see, if I was a baby again, I would have no control over most of the things I do. Even toddler don’t have as much control, how can you expect a baby to know what he/she is doing? As a baby, I would have a very short term memory. Though I think my attention span hasn’t change much since I was a baby, so hopefully that will remain the same. As for my daily activity, I would lie on my back whole day and wait for my mom to guess correctly what’s making me cry. Rest of the time I would sleep. Hmm…on second thoughts, I guess I wouldn’t mind being a baby again.
Anyway, I digress. So I don’t get the point of this topic, “If I were a baby again.” I understand if they have said about being a kid (age 4-12) or, even more relevant, if they asked me if I was a teenager again. That's one time of life that everyone would like to change one way or the other, but as a baby, as I said, you have pretty much no control over any of your functions. You are completely dependent upon your parents. You don't even have any memory of that time, then how can you change it? You might have some memories of being a toddler or the first day of school (I remember how much I cried!) but you aren't baby then. The term baby technically defines an age of 0-1 years old. Once you start walking you become a toddler. At least, that's how I understand it.
And then the blog says that we need to publish the post on November 7, 2009 anytime between 0000 hrs and 2359 hrs. Do you see the problem in this? No? Oh okay, here are my problems:
- There is no time zone specified! I couldn’t find any indication about which part of the world this site belongs to (this is the first time I have visited the site. Sorry if I am being ignorant). How am I supposed to know?
- Second problem I have: I can change the time of posting manually, so would it matter it I cross the time limit and still put it there? okay may be when I comment on their post with the link, a time stamp will show. But again which time zone do they (the comment's time stamp) belong to?
Having said all this, I have read quite a few creative posts on the topic and admire the bloggers for being so imaginative, innovative and artistic. Well,all I can do is to be sarcastic or rather I should say, all I can do is complain so here I am complaining about it. Though I do wonder if anyone else thought about these points too? I mean about the relevance of the topic, and not my ramblings about the time zone.
The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
2. On second thoughts, they never specified what people can or can not write. I simply chose to complain about it. So I am putting it up…
I'm sure we all would love to do a few things differently compared to how we did the same as tweens or teens :-) -- hind-sight is 20-20 and people will kill for new beginnings..
ReplyDeleteThe topic is open to fertile imagination and offers a rare opportunity to meander into a "what-if" innocence trip. Logic does not augur well with it :-)
I agree completely. As I said, I really admire the creativity of other bloggers and how they can work on this topic.
ReplyDeleteBeing not so creative myself, I was simply ranting out my first reaction on the topic. I initially wasn't sure if I should post this in Blog-a-ton but as I complied by all the rules I decided to do so. Hope I didn't offend too many people...*looking down sheepishly*
Hi Richa....
ReplyDeleteam here clapping for you for your bold initiative about the time stamp and speaking your mind about the topic....
I would like to say few points about the topic...
--> There are two elements regarding the imagination of humans
1. Rational(logical, Absolute and objective)
2. Emotional (Subjective, Relative and interpretative)
Rationality calls a spade is spade. Agreed. Imagine you have been gifted a pen by your father. You do attach emotional feelings to it and so you preserve it whether it works or not(emotional). But the same pen will be seen as mere pen it i get a chance to use it. I hardly bother to take care if it wont work (rational). Your emotionality is relative and my rationality is absolute with logic.
The same way as you said we can say that the topic is meaning less as child cannot have a memory (rational). But others may see it as an opportunity to relive their missed moments through emotional ventilations or some other purpose. It is all about creative interpretations with individualistic stampings.
Finally, Rationality has got limits because of logic. But emotionality has got no boundaries
You can write about many burning issues using this topic as means to express your opinions. Think once buddy.
I am not contradicting with you. I wanted to add another aspect to your opinions.
All i want to say is you do have the choice to reject this topic on the basis of rationality same as others having the choice to opt for this topic on the basis of emotionality.....
I am sorry if i said something hurting....
cheers,
mahesh :)
I wondered about the time zone thingie too, but I decided they were following IST. :)
ReplyDeleteIf it helps, my first thoughts on seeing the topic were the same as wat you write here. A baby? Really? But I thought they gave it a wide berth and didn't mean literally.
Glad you liked the responses. Maybe next time we could all think of something more interesting ?
Enjoy!
@ Mahesh: I completely agree. Everyone thought differently when they read the topic. As I am reading the different posts, I am looking at varied ways people have dealt with the topic. Few of them had problems like me and they decided to ask people around them. Others reminisced (as you said) about things they miss about being a kid.
ReplyDeleteGuess I am the one (may be only one? I haven't read all of them yet) who choose rationality. Again just a difference of opinion. I don't have a problem with the emotional/creative interpretation of the topic, I simply chose to give the rational interpretation. I didn't mean to hurt anyone by this, just expressing my views...
@Rohini: I guess it's my mistake for not realizing that it's an Indian based site. But this is the first time I visited the site..
ReplyDeleteI am keeping my fingers crossed for next time..
Lol...Kudos to you on your post! The topic didn't particularly appeal to me either...hence not being able to write something but resorting to a poem instead. And I too wondered about the time zone thing but figured since I was ahead of the IST anyway, and since I don't blog at midnight my time...I would fit in their criteria. Oh...and I so agree that 'If I were a teenager again' would have been a much better topic!!! There's so much I could have written on that one....
ReplyDeleteI agree "if i were a kid/teenager" would have been better ... but the majority had spoken ... democracy rules ..
ReplyDelete@PB: Thanks PB! Yeah, you do have advantage of being ahead from rest of us so you don't have to worry about deadlines ;)...
ReplyDeleteI hope they have better topics next time :)
@Naveen: Ohh but for majority to win, there has to be at least two parties. There was none here! :)
Dear richa,i belive everyone has the equal rights to complain!so you neednt worry about that.your post is not malicious or somethning..You are right in your own way..nevertheless other ways that exist too :) :)hence some may feel it is derogatory or something(that doesnt matter its your blog :) )your post is very important to us!
ReplyDeleteabout the topic i guess it is not only a baby..it can be anything that is related..now i can say baby is my girlfriend...i hope you get me...(but then if i wer/e my girlfriend again makes no sense at all..:P)..another way of looking at it is innocence and ignorance..as we say ignorance is bliss..it is...being a child all over again is like reliving your life ....
and i so much agree with Mr.Kalaal's take on it ..:)
but the issues you addressed about the time stamp etc really does need attention..
Ps: as he says You can write about many burning issues using this topic as means to express your opinions i agree totally with him...for example i needed to write about Female foeticide all over again using this...like a dead girl child saying "if i were a baby again..." go ahead as he says(and now i am his fan ;)) Rationality has got limits because of logic. But emotionality has got no boundaries
That was good that you pointed it out this way. Even I found it hard to write on this topic :)
ReplyDeletewell..you are right at your point, and you can write whtever you want to..
ReplyDeleteabou time, i also feel the same
came hee fis time, and i liked your blog, and how you have decorated things
Richa ... thats what Blog-at-ton is all about people write out their thoughts on a same topic voted by members so we get a wide spectrum of thoughts and approaches...though this topic has seen lots of similarity and overlapping of posts maybe the topic's scope was limited anyways yours is the 36th I am reading and the spectrum of posts is really wide till now....
ReplyDeleteAs far time zone is concerned its IST though Marshall Vipul has to confirm that but since the early days of Blog-a-ton most of the participants were from IST zone so it was like that but obviously we can discuss on this and set it right next Blog-a-ton ... What say Vipul ?
@Richa,
ReplyDeleteOn your " Hope I didn't offend too many people...*looking down sheepishly* ".
I'm sure you did not :-)
" ... am constantly modifying myself to reach maximum efficiency..." when I read that & meandered into your excellent posts about photography my thoughts were you were being very logical :-) . I should know a thing or two about being too logical for my wife keeps telling me " ..life is not about bullet points, it is paragraphs and stanzas.." :-) . But I'm still about get it on a list start from the top !
On the timezone issue, in the same boat. Add to that still getting used to the Daylight savings !
All the best..
@Narendra: Thanks for sharing your views. We usually admire child for being carefree but for some reason all child dreams about growing up. It might have to do with the fact that a child has almost no control over his life. All decisions are made for him and he needs to follow them. No individual in this world likes that, not even a child. But that is the price of ignorance and innocence. So forgive me, if I don't consider them as positive quality.
ReplyDeleteWe as adult like the idea of a life without responsibility but trust me, if that ever happened we will be miserable. We have become too indpendent to go back to being controlled by others in our life.
The debate between rational and emotions is a long one. On this topic, however, almost everyone has given an emotional side. I guess someone needed to give a rational side too...
@evanescentthoughts: Thanks! Glad someone agreed with my point of view!!
ReplyDelete@Chetan: Thanks for your support! And welcome to the blog...
@Dhiman: I understand how difficult it must be to organize something like this, especially coming up with the topic. This was my first time on blog-a-ton. Got redirected there from other blogs (quite a few of the blogs I follow chose to participate). I couldn't resist to vent out my reaction on the topic..
I am looking forward to next Blog-a-ton :)
@ Madhu: Thanks for being so sweet! I had been feeling guilty about writing the post..
ReplyDeleteI am glad you liked my posts..
Tell me about the Daytime Saving. I have been here 5 years and still haven't got used to it. I complain and groan about it twice a year. I have severe problem of jet lag. It takes me a week or two to get used to the new time. My complain is always that same: Why do I need to go through jet lag syndrome when I haven't traveled to anywhere? But then that's me: always complaining. :)
LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou know, even i wondered about the time zone. But given most bloggers were indian (by name at least - even if they don't stay in India), i thought and (supposedly correctly) that it refers to IST.
I liked your remarks on babies and their daily activities - eat, sleep and excrete!
Richa.. At first I started With a blank mind and ended up scribbling something! The topic was too vague!
ReplyDeleteComing to the problems you cited here, definitely they needs attention! Till now, many were within IST zone and the time was easier to understand.
Loved your bold attempt!
Hey Richa! There are a few participants who are not happy about the topic! You seem to be one among them. I liked your thoughts anyways!
ReplyDeleteWhat do I comment here?I suggested the topic..;)
ReplyDeleteWell..thats fine..everybody has their own perspective..the topic is selected by voting..its just a fun topic to play with..
But you did write something about it..so thats really cool :)
Richa, I have been following your blog since the last month and love your writing and your layout.
ReplyDeleteAnd this post, is a classic, Speaking your mind on your blog.
@ Prashant: Thanks! That was the point of the post: being sarcastic and funny. Thanks for taking it in that spirit!! :)
ReplyDelete@Shruti: That's what I wanted to do sa well. Just scribble something but then the blogger in me told me that it will be unfair to my readers if I am not being honest with them about what I think. So I changed the tone to sarcasm(my favorite tone) and attempted to be funny. :)
I hope I didn't fail miserably.
@neeraj: Thanks Neeraj! Glad you liked the attempt.
@ Daisy Blue: Ooops! Actually a big OOOPS. I am not sure what to say. I am sorry. I didn't intend to hurt you. I was simply trying to be funny but guess I didn;t realize it was on your expense. I feel really guilty now. SO please accept my sincerest apologies.
ReplyDelete@ For What it's worth: Thanks for the compliments and welcome to the blog (well one month belated :) ). I am glad you liked my blog and my non-stop constant ramblings. Hopefully I won't disappoint you...
ReplyDeleteWell Richa.. those ramblings just rmindd me of a baby (ohk sorry baby is jus 0-1, so a big baby :p)
ReplyDeleteWell, blog-a-ton is about writing and watevr u write is welcome.. bt yeah if thr was any query about time zone or anything else, all my social networking links were available thr to sort out any of thm:)
Well time zone is IST nd though i alwez mention it, mayb missed it in tht post.. will alwez keep it in mind in future..
nd yeah about changing ur post time stamp, u urslf answered it as i look at cmmnts time stamp!
Voting is on and ends today at 2000 hrs (IST).. do vote :)
nd yeah, i know tht was a funny take on the topic.. i was actually laughing aftr reding it :D
ReplyDelete@Vipul: Hahhaha...I like the term "big baby". Guess I do whine like a big baby, don't I?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, I didn't look throughly so I didn't know about who was the organizer and how can I contact him/her. Honestly, I am slightly busy these days (as in working 14 hrs, 7 days a week) so I didn't spend too much time on the site and simply chose to whine instead. My mistake. I apologize.
I did read few of the posts but haven't been able to finish all of them and I feel it will be unfair to vote on basis of posts I read while ignoring, may be some really good ones, just because I didn't have time. Hopefully, I will have more time during next blog-a-ton and I will participate properly that time. I promise.
@Vipul: Hahhaha...I like the term "big baby". Guess I do whine like a big baby, don't I?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, I didn't look throughly so I didn't know about who was the organizer and how can I contact him/her. Honestly, I am slightly busy these days (as in working 14 hrs, 7 days a week) so I didn't spend too much time on the site and simply chose to whine instead. My mistake. I apologize.
I did read few of the posts but haven't been able to finish all of them and I feel it will be unfair to vote on basis of posts I read while ignoring, may be some really good ones, just because I didn't have time. Hopefully, I will have more time during next blog-a-ton and I will participate properly that time. I promise.