As I was replying to all the birthday wishes a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but reflect on how birthday greetings have changed over the years. As a child, my mom and dad used to wake me up with lots of kisses and blessings. They ensured my siblings behaved themselves and overall I was treated like royalty. That was enough to make my day and lasted me a whole year.
By the time I entered teenage, an Archies card was a must-give on birthdays. The closer one's friend, the longer the verses and curvier the handwriting. On spent hours poring over scores of cards every other month to find the one that most eloquently described one's feelings. Of course, the number of cards one received was the barometer of one's popularity.
And Heavens help if it was the birthday of that 'special one'. Each word was intricately deciphered and examined to ensure that they conveyed just the right feelings. A special mention of the friends as they stood stoically nodding in agreement or shaking heads solemnly, taking cue from one'e own expressions. As if the printed verses were not enough, every single empty space was filled with one's own wishes written in multi-hued pens. Each card was a story in itself.
As one grew older and started working, easy access to landline phones (mobiles were still a few years away) spurred one to actually call friends and chat on company expense.
As with everything else, mobile phones and the Internet brought a revolution in the way we greet each other on birthdays. Ironically, the technology that is touted to bring people closer, has enslaved people to an extent where they have increasingly less time for each other. Today, cryptic messages such as "many happy returns of the day' or 'happy bidday' or 'happy birthday to you' suffice. A smiley is considered enough to convey one's happiness and love for the person.
And if that's too much trouble simply log onto a free greeting cards site, select a card, write a message and leave it to a distant server to send the message on the appropriate date. Better still, with the advent of social networking one can simply post a greeting on facebook or orkut or hi-5. The onus is then on the birthday boy/girl to log on, check and resond to these greetings. Some of the closest friends/families may call on the day and one better be grateful for these small mercies.
The way technology is taking over our lives, the day is not far when mankind would be able to send greetings across the globe simply through telepathy or through electromagnetic waves being captured by orbitting satellites and transmitted via Tata Sky or Dish TV. I wonder if they would be able to develop a telepathic editor or a 'thought filter' to ensure only the positive thoughts get transmitted.
Till then, let's count our blessings by the number of SMSs, facebook posts or e-greetings we receive.
