Maxim # 29: இளமையில் கல் -- Learn at a younger age.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 29: இளமையில் கல் (ila-mai-yil kal)

Translation: Learn at a younger age.

Rumination:This only makes sense, isn't it? "இளமையில்" means "at a younger age" and "கல்" is a double entendre that means "learn" in this context. "கல்" must not be interpreted to its other well-known meaning of "stone." So, better interpret it as "learn at a younger age" to something as ridiculous as "suffer from kidney stones at a younger age." I inquired my friend at work about how his two-year old kid was faring. He was at Cloud Nine to recall how alacritous the toddler is picking up Russian and English alphabets, numerals, etc. He also drew my attention to research studies that suggest that children's brain is distinctly different in composition and activity to that of the elders. Learning at a younger age is indispensable as studies show that the overall personality of a human-being is almost well established by the age of 5. Kids need interaction to learn at such a tender age. In the recent times, parents have cutback their interactions with kids due to invasion of TV into their bed-rooms, where TV performs the function of a baby-sitter to young kids. As the saying goes, "make hay while the sun shines," a kid has to be inculcated with positive attitude towards learning so that apart from co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, the kid can start learning from its own failings, trials, falls, etc. Rather than pandering to rear a mammothrept it would behoove well to rear a self-made person out of that kid.

Quotes: " When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it." -- Mark Twain.