In search of the real meaning...

"Students, today your physics teacher has taken leave and i would be taking over the class for that hour" declared the language teacher, midst a collective sigh of relief. Soon the chatter began like bush fire and looking at all the happy faces, the teacher felt it would be unfair to bore them with more lessons for the hour and decided to engage them into something interesting.

"Okay...LISTEN everybody. Two years from this date, you would all be sitting for your public exams. And two years from then, the exam of your life. Means..in 4 years time, your life as a school kid is effectively over. Have you ever wondered what you want to be in your life?"

There was a studied silence with the frontbenchers bowing their head down, middle benchers seriously checking into their bags for secret holes to hide and last benchers in their own sweet world, oblivious to the surroundings.

"Woww...is this THE 8 'c'..or have i stepped into some other class? FINALLY i've found the way to keep you guys quiet for few seconds"

There were sporadic giggles and smiles.

"Okay..we go alphabetically...Ajay..you start..what do you want to be hmm..say..5 years from now"

A nervous looking Ajay got up, cursing his parents for naming him with the first letter of the alphabet, mumbles that he wants to be an engineer and sits down in no time. Soon the procession followed. "Doctor..Engineer..IITian..Business..Lawyer..Pilot..Singer" and so went on the list. Majority of the crowd had voted for Engineer followed by Doctor. Soon it was Ram's turn to answer. Despite so many people having answered before him, he was still shaking on his boots. He stood up with 32 pairs of eyes plus the teacher looking at him.

"Yes Ram..go ahead. Whats your ambition"

"Iwannabagudperson" said Ram in a quivering voice and sat down on a flash.

"Pardon..can you repeat?" asked the teacher. Ignoring the sniggers he mustered up all his courage to stand up and repeated "I want to be a good person" which resulted in stifled laughs from the students. The teacher gave him a condescending look and asked
"Being good is a nature..tell me what you want to be". By that time Ram was at the edge of having a nervous breakdown and was luckily saved by the bell. At the break, all his classmates teased him for his answer and it became the discussion topic for the next twenty years, whenever his name came up.

It was no surprise that, Ram also joined the "Engineer" club eventually and settled with a if-not-lucrative-decent-enough job, wondering the whole way through whether he made the right choice.

Story ends here.

Feel its incomplete? Well matter is..so does life. Ask a kid what he/she wants to be. They have a variety of options. When you dont know how you are going to achieve it, anything seems possible. But the moment you have the capability to actually understand the options available to you and your affordability level, things really do change. Priorities change.

I knew of few people, who have shifted from hard core engineering domain into sales and finally into IT. Its not that IT was their passion and they were on the hunt for their dream career and ended up here. Probably construction gave them more satisfaction than coding. Still money makes a more compulsive argument against any dream or passion. A decade into their careers and still people are not sure if this is what they want to do ten years from now. They still try to give it their best shot and enjoy as much as they can but its definitely not natural but more often than not forced. If there is a google to search for people, where in you give the unique description of each person to fetch only that person, i guess it would be no results found for them. For they are yet to identify that UNIQUE thing which would make them happier and feel at ease and peace. At present if you replace their name with anybody else, their life would still fit in for the other person.

I guess the successful people often are those who made a living out of what they liked to do. They get branded as LUCKY...RISK TAKERS..but the glowing point which shines above all other characteristics is they are HAPPY AND they are SUCCESSFUL. From here begins my quest towards achieving all of the above :)

Comments

Aarti said…
Hmmm... interesting post.. have seen quite a few around me go down the same road... and still are looking for the real meaning or some meaning for that matter...
Ramesh said…
Superb post Gils. In one of your philosophical moods again, are you ? Actually the answer by Ram (is that young gils ?) is the best of the lot. Engineer, doctor, whatever, it makes little difference. You work, make some money, have some victories and defates and then go on. Being a good person is a more lasting legacy.

A good post like this deserves a better comment, but alas, nothing is neat in life, is it ?
RamNarayanS said…
Gilosophical post. Thumbs up on your quest. What questnnu kaekkappdaadhu.

After the story, agree to it quite. As you grow older, you adjust, compromise, retune, derisk and what not to make sure you are always at a level equal to or higher than what you were.

I'd love to follow where I would feel at peace and like it without the adjustments. Well, I am still searching for it.
FunScribbler said…
awesome post dude!!!!!!!!!!!
gils said…
@rt:

:) lets see how far is the trip :)

@thala:

//Actually the answer by Ram (is that young gils ?//

:)

//Being a good person is a more lasting legacy. //

I can vouch for that with my dad as the example. Thats one very very big legacy for me to live upto.
RS said…
Fantastic post, Gilse!! //Ask a kid what he/she wants to be. They have a variety of options. When you dont know how you are going to achieve it, anything seems possible. But the moment you have the capability to actually understand the options available to you and your affordability level, things really do change. Priorities change.//---Evlo periya matter-a evlo simple-a solliteenga???????????

I think this search for one's peace/satisfaction is never going to end :)
RS said…
This bloack color bg is very hard on the eyes, man. Puleeeez change the color....(Actually, I the no like blacku coloru)
gils said…
@rammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:

:) unga quest erkanavay aarambichidhichu pola :D

@mango:

:))
gils said…
Thangal sitham aathivasi madam :)
Asha said…
Very good story and thought gils. don't classify under mega mokkai, not fair.

Last but one para is so true of many people today in the late 30's and 40's.
gils said…
@asha:

u r right on target :)
RS said…
Thanqqqqquuuuuuuuuuu, Gils!!
Ravi said…
Good notes.

I always think successful ppl are the ones who follow their heart, rather than their brains. It takes courage and dedication, not many can do it.

It’s unfortunate that I (we most) can’t follow our heart.
Venkat said…
Achachachoo climax storya cut paneetingale, plizz add climax and republish again that was very touching.

Some of my friends shifted from construction to IT now realizing ur say. but if money is their motto they are happy with IT. If one's happiness comes by acquiring knowledge in that industry they can be more happy even without money. satisfaction depends on what we want in life and priorities. whats ur say?

thoughtful ending, you deserve a salute for your thinking. and please write a post about ur father, curious to read.
gils said…
@ravi:

there is a saying/stat that 98% of the world uses things invented by the 2% who thought differently. In other words..followed their dream/vision. we are the majority actually :) if u wanna move into the 2% group..breakaway and fly free :) and THAT is definitely not easy
gils said…
@venkat:

:) full kathaiyum padichiteengala :) actuala planned this post as a story..apruma ending maathiten. thanks for ur enthu :)

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