OVER TO YOU

NOTES ON THE October ISSUE

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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