The Missing Link…

Raksha Bandhan – Raksha Bandhan (the bond of protection in Hindi) is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana..

Long back a few of our friends during our regular trips to the forests had some time waiting at the bus stop. We had an hour or so for the bus to arrive. One of us began saying “Guys let’s have a debate... For fun! ”
“Debate?! What the..! Are you crazy...” everyone said.
“No, let’s have a small debate, some of us will talk for and some of us against... what say? Ain’t it a good idea to spend some time?” he replied to which everyone nodded.
We started off with a topic, “Siblings or single child… Which is fun...?”
The discussion went on for hours, even after the bus arrived, we spoke and fought the whole night over the topic, and got blasted by the fellow passengers in the bus, for not letting them sleep :-P

Well I felt it’s the right day to write a few lines on the same. I have been the single and a pampered (of course, single goes with pampered) child. People ask us (us from here on means the single child community) “hey you are a single child to your parents? Ah! Lucky you! ”. Hmm, yeah, have been lucky in most aspects.
Being a single kid has all its advantages, from buying the school stationery we get to choose what we want, the books as much, the crayons with all shades of blue and fluorescent. The birthday chocolates of our choice. A cycle that we want, and the best in class. Of course, the pressures and scolding’s of scoring bad in school also doubles. School fest time? Hmm... It’s the time of complete attention for us from preparing our exhibition models, to the fancy dress costume... Ah! It was fun... 

After all the joyful years of schooling, when we step into the college, we are assured of a seat in the best (affordable of course) college, and the expensive tuitions… and 2 year long nonstop supply of pocket money.  It’s the time when interests begin to widen, from cycles to bikes, from uniforms to branded Jeans (Mobiles were an expensive commodity then). Ah! Now that we’ve completed with our PU, we step into engineering and some of us are fortunate to stay back with our parents, thanks to their expenditure on payment seats and management seats to assure their kid stays within their line of sight and their fear of cranky hostels, blatant ragging in college hostels are submerged. Parents heave a sigh of relief.

“Ma! Roger waters comin to Bangalore ma!”, “class trip Dad!”, “Rahman’s concert!! You can also join me ma!”, “need a new guitar, only an electric guitar will do”, “Metallica’s new album”, “ ‘Ve to treat my friends on my birthday”.. Yet so many wantings, parents don’t dare to turn em down.. After all their only kid... Let him/her enjoy..! Hmm... Of coffee days, long drives, re-valuation, the want list longer than the syllabus book :-P

That was an awesome life!..  Not having anything to share not having to fight for anything  and you get what you are obstinate for … not many questions asked...

Somewhere down the line, a link of the ‘awesome’ chain looks somewhat creaky.... “Hey, what’s that?!” life gave you everything...” Very much dude. A few more things that made up the link… The joy of snatching a chocolate from you sis, the joy of stealing her crayons, the joy of using her makeup kits for your fancy dresses. The quarrelling over a small issue and winning, sometimes giving up coz your parents scolded you and made you give it to her. Competing with her on the birthday gifts and the cake sizes. Sharing your cycle as parents didn’t get one for each.

Snatching the pocket money, or borrowing for a new pair of jeans or a Movie ticket. Getting caught with your girlfriend or your sis getting caught going around with the guy of her class. The umpteen blackmailing not to tell parents about it :-p. Scanning her scrapbook for something interesting to poke and tease her… sharing the internet connection at home .. Ah! Some materialistic things you might say..

The tidbits you take from your sis to go and speak with interesting girls, the inside info you get from the tell-a-woman broadcast line gossips...:-P the agony aunt that she chooses to be when parents are furious at you…. The satisfaction and the happiness of a cheerful laughter, heartful smile, an empathetic tear, are a few that makes the link complete. Am sure those of you having siblings will have a different perspective, ahem! Grass is always greener on the other side.

C’mon life hasn’t been unfair. …! Having a huge gang of friends’ didn’t make us feel something’s missing. Thanks to the zillions of treats, hundreds of outings, lots of trips that’s kept us all busy all through. A bunch of crazy friends is all you’ll need to freak out and give the necessary break from the monotony that work offers you.
But, Inadvertently I hear a tiny wind chime hanging in a corner of the house waving to every gush of the wind, and its sound rings in the ears everywhere. loud….

Wishing all you brothers and sisters a very happy Raksha Bandhan! :-)

Ungrateful...

Well, its been quite some time since i could have spared some time for a new blogpost.

Dunno how many of us would have thought about our jobs, cribbing about our bosses, the salaries, everything around us in office from the office boys to the admin people's work in organizing things in office. I sometimes feel we've been blessed with such beautiful and good work compared to a lot of people around the world, thanks to the good education our parents got us for all of 25 years striving hard every day.. Kudos to them.

The post is a very crude one, and am throwin it onto the blog just as it comes onto my mind.

It sometimes wrenches thoughts and the feeling is that deep down guilt that shouts saying "idiot! look at them, why do you crib,... you are so blessed!"

I've felt it every time i see people who do odd jobs just for a living.

There is this person, at the utility building parking lot, who runs around on a wheelchair looking after all the vehicles parked in the premisis. I'm sure, the guy would make say.. 2000 per month?? yeah ..roughly.. to sustain himself and his family.. And the happiness and pride with which he does his work .. left me wondering..

And there is this person who sells groundnuts on a busy road for 1/- .. how much would this guy make? 2000 again? for his family ? is that enough?.. for a family of 4, in bangalore, 2000 sustainable, and still he does it with so much of confidence and ownership.

Yet another person, who sells corn near a park in rajajinagar, and i was struck when my friend told me he was a degree holder, and he took up this profession just because he had to earn a living for his family... hmm.. and we talk about us not getting proper "Work packages".

its feels weird when i see small guys working as waiters, in restaurants doing the cleaning and serving jobs, we spend like mad, shelling out what..? 400 per meal?? hmm.. sometimes.. which is about 1/4th of his salary..

the Bus conductor, who gives us a smile with the ticket

The security guy at the shopping mall...

The small kids who runs around small restaurants carrying the plates..

I've seen most of us squirm at these people.. Clean this, clean that.. this guy checks my bag every time... this guy doesen't have the change for a ticket.. ah! aren't these ppl doing their duties?

Have we wondered what would have happened if our bosses in the "IT" industry had squirmed at us for not meeting the deadline?? I'm sure we wud have changed jobs.. the next day..

I think its time we understand, any work is good.. any work has a reason, its not that i have a good work, i have a bad work.. Its the way we take it ..

I've thought about my work too, saying this is good, this is bad.. hmm.. wait.! its first, we have to be dedicated in what we do, we've to think we'are paid for it.. am i worth the 20000? salary I get? am i doing the work worth my salary's worth? or even 1/2 of the worth?

Its true that companies pay peanuts to us, by giving say 15$ per hr when they charge 50-70$ from their clients.. thats immaterial .. what matters or should matter to me is am I worth the money I'm being paid? Its this satisfaction and not the greed is us that should drive and guide us with the work and the dedication. All of us are good people, but somewhere down the mind the peer-pressure starts to bite.. Thats when things go outta control.. he has got it, why not me? what have i done wrong? whats my mistake.. my boss is partial.. hmm.. taken.. but i think we have to spend more time on thinking on being worth the salt than wanting more from work. Just think.. can the corn guy or the Parking guy ask for things like this?

Deserve before you Desire

What's happenin with our lives ??

I m wondering where these busy schedules, the work loadthat almost all of us keep talking about, is taking us to....thesedays i have been hearing somebody telling me constantly that work isthe most important thing....i fail to understand something outhere...why is it that we all work...i always thought it is for abetter quality of life, to be able to get ur loved ones things that ualways wanted to get and so on. Not for moving away from the people ulove, not for making people feel unwanted, not for spoiling one'shealth. I cannot see "only doing good work at office" as the onlyobjective in one's life. Work is actually only a means to somethingbigger in life. People have to get this straight. I see my friendsbreak off because they are not able to find time for each other. Whatis it that they are planning to do with their lives...is breaking offa solution? Should one go ahead and give up on a relationship becauseof this reason that they are unable to give time to each other ? Arentthere ways and means by which one can solve this?I always beleived in one thing..."where there is a will there is away"...having made up one's mind to spend a lifetime with someone, isit so difficult to find 2 mins a day to say a "hi" to him/her? i neverthought this was so tough. If one can take care of these small thingsin life, there should not be any problem. The issue with ourgeneration is that people want everything to come on to themeasily....one is ready to put in 15-16 hours a day for work...theemployer is not going to hesitate to kick you out if the situationdemands it tomorrow, things are measured more by money and profits,nonetheless, we give it all this importance...but not an hour for arelationship that is supposed to last a life time, not an hour for aperson who is ready to stand by u thru all ups and downs in life , notan hour for a person who would not kick us out of his/her life, comewhat may.....what an irony this is? Is this what we want out oflife....by the time we realise the mistake we are into, i am worriedit will be too late....we would have already broken hearts andrelationships and thats precisely what is happening around.lets not do this to each other guys...lets understand the meaning ofour lives...lets understand why is that we have to work...we have towork to live, not live to work! The true essence of life and itsbeauty has to be realised...lets make life better and give people whatwhat they deserve and not take them for granted. After all, is notmaking this effort woth it??!!it is so easy to say " This is how i am. if u can put up with this,lets go ahead."....but the results of this statament are not going tobe good. Why not we try and do something for others? Why not weunderstand that by trying and doing things for others is how we aregoing to inspire them to do the same to us and this is what is goingto make our lives complete!"

Keeping a smile on your face.......when inside you feel like dying means strength.."

take care,
Bhatta