This word would always prod images of some old generation medicines like Tetracycline or Asthalin whenever it occurred in younger circuits and remained a latent anxiety until Shaayan, my son brought it to fore on his fifth birthday. Looking at his new slated demand I immediately started sliding my fingers on Google with similar sounding contraband drug names blinking in my mind before android and Jelly Beans on my smart phone spilled the knowledge beans to something which I never ever thought. As a new generation dad my progressive belief was challenged as I was still anticipating the early year birthday gifts to be bicycle or a pair of skate’s types. With world getting flatter so aspirations have to be fatter, I realized.
The demand was registered in the family shopping cart, was subsequently presented to my better-half and then we became virtual navy seals sniffing out more info about this giant launching pad. Tired of being quizzed every morning emphatically by my son as if springing out of an unfinished dream, I promised him to get one soon with half open eyes and intent….the little one was already prancing in the dreams. On the cyber front what was clearly evident was the fact that India was starting to jump quiet late in the century where developed countries were already jumping for recreational or health reasons since a decade now. Good for health as a cardiovascular exercise, it also helps the kids to grow taller and muscular that too without consuming or leaving any carbon footprints! A family sport with no effort at all like blithe daddy dancing, this eco-friendly equipment capable of wrestling all weather conditions in the open started catching my interest now.
With conviction which proved to be viral originating from my son now, I started getting Trampoline ‘shots’ quiet frequently; frequent enough to defy the rule of ‘SOS’ actually. My next door Gym got one for special needs in aerobic classes and calorie churning; I spotted one in DLF club where parents and kiddies were bouncing alike. Then the day care of my son recently acquired two of them to make children feet happy and light footed. The last spring in the decision of buying one was put on during our small weekend vacation to Jim Corbett where our resort had one trampoline and gave enough reasons to buy one as soon as possible. My rusted and overweight frame too could explore the child within me and bounce like a crazy ball. We could not hunt the big cat at Jim Corbett with our SLR but were still happy to be hunted on new found bounce in our lives.
The apartment we live in posed an initial challenge in our attempt to figure out a space for placing the Trampoline until we met Mr Chhabra of “You Luv Sports” who consoled our quest with different sizes available in his catalogue to help the “carpet area” challenged like us. The delivery was promised instant and the pocket also was happy to accommodate the bounce relatively much easier than what others were posing. Thankfully, it did not cost tall enough to cut down on the birthday celebrations and we could go ahead with a decent birthday bash too as a ritual!. The deal was signed and bounceignmnet delivered a day before Shaayan’s birthday, while he was fast asleep, the equipment was unfolded and assembled with all the safety gears to perfection.
The morning proved out to be eventful in true sense as the news spread in the apartment’s kids’ ring about this new jazz and more and more feet joined to make it a special day for my kid. The evening was also happening as kids hit the bouncing mat singing the birthday song to glory and without vandalizing the toy room of my son J.
And we jump happily ever since….actually speaking now I realize the crest and trough in Shaayan’s DOB 08-08-08. He always had a hidden bounce!!
I wish best of luck to Mr Chhabra in his noble mission to spread the trumpet of Trampoline in India. It can help reduce the bouncing paunch of so many fellow beer-i-zens. As a forerunner I chose it as my election campaign symbol if ever I launch “aam bacchha party”.
