My wooden Rocking Horse..Down the memory lane

This weekend I started to look into my old papers to weed out the trash that accumulated over the years. After discarding so many old bank statements, bills and letters I came across an old envelope. I opened it and found a very old photograph of 54 years,yellowed with age.






It was a picture of me at my maternal grand mother's home, happily riding away on a wooden rocking horse. This photograph triggered my journey down the memory lane. It brought back memories of my late maternal grand mother, a pleasant old lady with a smile and a ready repartee on her lips. I still remember her snow white curly hair, umpteen stories she told me and the pure, unadulterated love she used spread on her grandchildren.It also reminded me the carefree childhood I had under the umbrella of caring grand mothers, both paternal and maternal. I never saw my grand fathers on either side. They remained as serious,stiff sepia photographs adorning the walls.

Well, coming to the rocking horse, it seems that my grand mother bought it as a present for me and it was there for a long time in her house, subsequently carrying my brothers and sisters, whenever we visited her house.

Wooden rocking horses I feel, nurture the fantasy in children assisted by innumerable mythological stories narrated by grannies. A child oblivious of tomorrow, happily rides away on his wooden horse assuming himself as a prince. The parents visualize the future equestrian prowess of their son. It is altogether a different situation if he turns out to be a betting man! It may be quixotic to recollect these things now but it was a major attraction in those days to all the visiting cousins, who also wanted a ride on the stallion. I still remember my possessiveness in those days.

For many years I was thinking that a wooden horse is a toy of the orient, but Google dispelled the myth by showing the images of wooden rocking horses of the entire globe. Each has a design of it's own. every craftsman added an improvisation of his own to make the ride comfortable and enjoyable. My son with his girl friend

I still graphically remember the smile on my wife's lips, when I told her that I would buy a rocking horse for my son. My late father, who was listening to the conversation coolly went and brought a swank sports car model for his first grand son to ride! Obviously he was more adaptable to the winds of change than me!!

That brings up the question. Should I buy a wooden rocking horse for my grandson as and when he arrives? (By the way, My son is yet to get married!)

Cheers and keep smiling!!!