Protective gears!

My generation in India has grown up smelling the air of new age entrepreneurship in a new invigorated, liberalized India. I have seen an individual grow his personal wealth from 0 to a billion $ in one generation and share it generously as well! This new country has given people like me the opportunity to compete on an equal footing in the new “flat world”.

However, my helmets, knee caps, arm guards, gloves and such numerous protective gears are slowing me down and in fact choking me!

What are these helmets, knee caps, arm guards, gloves? These are some elements of Indian societal set up! We have always been brought up with a sense of caution and boundaries. Some of boundaries were virtual and some physical.

Say, for example, we were always told, not to take risks, never to put all eggs in one basket, not to challenge beliefs, systems, elders, teachers, we were given a framework of family bondage where we have to put up with an annoying wife/husband even though the relationship is not mutually beneficial, to be obedient to our boss at the cost of us feeling unhappy about the situation, to be grounded to reality and never chase dreams, to save and not to spend, that identity comes from our association and not from self, to have a servile attitude to the king, boss, land lord or whoever it was whom we thought put the daily bread on our plate, to not to believe our colleagues but to believe the system, that getting endorsed especially by a foreigner is the paramount, to never fall out of ranks, to follow the crowd and not tread an unknown path, to please people rather than doing the right thing, to work within the system and its constraints, to leave the thinking / innovation / adventure to someone else, the list is endless! These gears were forced upon us over centuries through, stories, myths, ‘modified’ epics, poems and every possible means.

On a side note, when I think of adventures, I don’t know of any notable adventure sport or adventure club which existed in India (not in pockets and that too again performed by specialists) some 10 years ago! Think, think, think!

Also, I would want to take this opportunity to showcase a fundamental belief in majority India. “Do your duty and do not expect results!!” This belief is derived from Bhagavad Gita – one of the holy books of Indians.

Indians did a great deal of introspection throughout the ages. So if this particular interpretation/statement was made to help an individual to transcend from the materialistic world onto the world of universal truth, it makes sense!

However, in India people are advised to apply this belief on their day to day tasks. Why would someone want to do something in life without expecting desired results? This is the driver for creating a totally unproductive society.

Though, I do agree that these elements keep you safe and help you lead a long life! But, is that what life is about in rest of the world, especially the western world and specifically the US? No!! Absolutely not!

I get reminded of a commercial for a battery which depicts two old men in a wrestling arena, clasping on to each other and wrangling away softly at each other! Then the ad concludes with the caption, what’s life without power?

I am not able to run at the speed at which I can (personally and professionally), whilst in the US or western world because, either, some of these protective gears slow me down, or, even if I shed some of the gears, my colleague’s (fellow country men’s) protective gears hurt me whilst I run along with them. When I extrapolate this thought, I am sure; my country is also being slowed down by the sheer weight of such protective gears!

Imagine us leading a long life consistently protected by these gears!! Huh! Think of R.K. Lakshman’s iconic “Common man of India”. An old doddering, spectacled man with a mustache and a kitty of life savings. Ironically he has a smile all the time… which, especially, I just cannot fathom.

I feel totally dejected and weighed down by the protective gears, the very thought of such a depiction of the common man from India suffocates me!

It’s time to think of what we have and what we could do about it?

More in the sequel!

Ciao!

Sundar

Jet lag!

Never really had been alone physically and mentally - Now, I am!

Well, the story is, I had been dying to go to the US of A. 2 VISA rejections, 1 VISA approved but did not travel and again 1 more VISA and this time after 1 year of securing the VISA, it materialized last week – FINALLY! I said to myself! I called up my friends and family and had informed them about my trip.

I reached US of A yesterday.

This trip was planned with much fan fare both personally and professionally – after landing in the US, I realize, there is no fun anymore, the excitement is all gone, there is no adrenalin gush, well, apart from the intermittent gastro-intestinal acidic bursts! "What happened?" I wondered! This is what I wanted very badly - To travel to THE States. I thought to myself, when stars align and smile at you, what the hell is bothering you?

I realized the root cause.... it was the lack of urgency in life!

I quickly recollected one of Barrack Obama's speech when he was running for Presidency - He said "I am running in this race because of what Dr. King called "the fierce urgency of now." Because I believe that there's such a thing as being too late. And that
hour is almost upon us."

How true!!

There is such thing as being too late! I was not enthused anymore because, it was too late in the day! Nevertheless, there are miles to go and this too shall pass - I have got other reasons to be enthused about whilst I am in the US now - The most important thing is, I have realized what needs to be done.

The "fierce urgency of now" as Mr. Martin Luther King reveals is a very powerful motivator. I realized that I did not pursue my dream fiercely enough, I waited for things to fall in place. Incidentally, on the flight, I chanced upon a quote of Mark Twain – He says, "Time and tide wait for no man. A pompous and self-satisfied proverb, and was true for a billion years; but in our day of electric wires and water-ballast we turn it around: Man waits not for time nor tide. "I have been nurturing a dream for a while now! I will not wait for the tide and time! I will make it happen...March on to MARCH (2) 2010- watch out for the date folks!

Phew!!! It was a long Jet lag indeed for 9 years!

I am awake! Finally!

Ciao

Sundar