The world of babies

The documentary, “Babies,” kept me captivated over the weekend.  The film by Thomas Balmés documents the culturally disparate lives of four children in different parts of the globe… Hattie in San Francisco, U.S.A.;  Bayar in Bayandchanmani, Mongolia; Mari in Tokyo, Japan; and Ponijao in Opuwo, Namibia.  

From their entry into the world until their triumph over their first step, Balmés captured each baby's one year's worth of endearing moments.  .

After watching it, I could not help but notice that the child (Ponijao in Namibia) who was raised in the least privileged (primitive actually) surroundings grew up the happiest with a constant big smile on her face. Growing up almost naked, playing in the dirt, drinking muddy water and playing with Nature's gifts reiterated my belief that simplicity can inspire a joyful life.  In contrast, the Japanese kid (Mari) often got cranky despite the abundance of play things in her world.

Below is an educated observation… from someone who should know what he is talking about… a psychologist.

A psychologist’s commentary