Growing up in INDIA...

Love is still a taboo, a flaw in the gene as per our society. I grew up thinking the same that the weak-willed and unloved children fall in love with others. When you have people to love and care in the family we wont seek love elsewhere, this is what I was taught as a child. The first time I felt this feeling I tried denying it thinking its for the weak -willed and I am not ! I tried to make fun of my first love or annoy him in ways which made me tell myself I dont like him. In college I struggled to understand intercast relationships, sex out of wedlock and living togethers. I hated the concept of affairs, multiple- partners, friends with benefits, same sex romance, abortions. I evaluated the whole Idea on my own, the idea of LOVE and it was not an easy journey for me. I came to a conclusion that every individual has his/ her set of rights and wrongs, as long as they dont disturb the flow of my life, I dont have to mind them or disturb their flow of life. I feel that love should eventually lead to marriage, in my relationships I seek for permanent commitment, multiple partners fall under the category of wrong in my system, but thats just my right and wrong. We have to "live and let live". In today's world preteenage and teenage romances are so common, some news also scares us when we hear about teenagers giving birth. A good sex education session in schools would do great help to both teachers and students alike. We need to conduct proper sex education sessions to all age groups. When i was in 9th and 10th standard, teachers would feel embaressed and skip the reproduction chapters, assign us to self-teach it just for exam point of view. I had reading out loud habit when it came to studying and I used to read out these chapters which erked my mom, she would say the neighbours will hear. When teacher used to read out few lines of the chapter I myself used to feel like laughing as it was a class with the boys, fast forward now a few years later still its a taboo topic. Our relatives and neighbours atittude when they come to know we are in love is one such example. When their children fall in love also they are treated like sinners, they are shamed & hide it.