OVER TO YOU

NOTES ON THE October ISSUE

MY DAD AND I, REBUILT

Colleen Oakley brought to life the drift we see gradually develop between generations. It reminded me of the time when I was learning to (unsuccessfully) ride a scooter under my grandfather’s supervision. Throughout the lesson, he never got frustrated. Instead, to soothe my disappointment, he narrated his experience of learning to ride a bike with his friends. They were going well over the speed limit for over a kilometre until they realized the brakes existed for a reason. (They thought a bike only had an accelerator until the owner pointed out the brakes!)

I wondered what other tales of reckless adventure my grandfather had in him, and upon asking I was regaled with tons of stories. I discovered sides to him I never knew existed—the young, carefree boy he was then, and the passionate storyteller he is now. Ashwini Nayak, via email