Vethal's Corner - 2

I have a dream...

Sandhya was an IT professional. A senior in the field, she had begun her career at time when things weren’t as rosy as they seem to be now. She had seen the ups and downs, the twists and turns, the roses and thorns. Hailing from a lower middle class family based in suburbia, sheer grit and determination had seen her through to where she stood now. Right from her education to building her career, every brick and stone was laid down by her own efforts, with parental support being restricted to the initial finances.

Sandhya’s secret desire, ever since her childhood, was to become a scientist. She did not know of Abdul Kalam, back when she was growing up, and considering her humble background often wondered if she was building a castle in the air. But her parent’s debts and her concerns about younger siblings future, forced her to make alternate choices in life. She did not enter the IT field through the traditional route of campus placements. But rather, started off with multiple odd jobs related to it, did many courses and certifications, made strategic job changes, impressed the right people, deftly moved the coins to make a quick rise to middle management.

Her career moves were mostly fuelled by her burning desire to give her family the comfort they never knew of, or didn’t dare to dream of. She was quite a satisfied human being, when she looked back at her family back in the village. She had tried to bring them to the city, but the metro bewildered them so much, that she didn’t have the heart to make them stay.

Nevertheless, her childhood dream remained unfulfilled. And often resurfaced as an occasional sigh or as a far away look in her bright eyes.

Manoj was a happy go lucky guy. With affluential parents, who were both doting as well as disciplined, Manoj had the right blend of backing and talent. He was good at almost all that he did, but was extremely moody. He did only what he liked, or rather seemed to like for the moment, but since he did it well, his random swings didn’t bother others much.

Manoj got placed into the same IT company where Sandhya was working, immediately after his graduation, and as he always liked to say “ Macha, it was pure luck da.. I didn’t even give it a try”. Manoj had a slick tongue, and the influence of a good schooling, which promptly brought him the limelight among his peers. Sandhya too was one of those, who noticed the sparkly yet spoilt youngster. Quick to spot talent, she pulled him under her wing. They shared a great rapport, and soon Manoj was Sandhya’s protégé. Sandhya liked Manoj’s never say die attitude, and Manoj couldn’t resist the challenges and recognition Sandhya showered him with.

But, as with people spoilt for choice, Manoj soon diverted his interests elsewhere. He got tired of the field, and moved out of the company to pursue his higher studies.

Few years rolled by, and their paths crossed again, in a different company where Sandhya was in the upper echelons of middle management, while Manoj joined there as a expert consultant, a couple of research degrees later.

The rapport wasn’t the same, although things weren’t altogether strained. But Manoj’s re-entry had a profound impact on Sandhya.

She began to get annoyed with her family, and their concerns. The brunt of her unfulfilled dream hit her worst, when she saw it realized by another. If only, her parents were able to afford that English medium school.. If only, her parents were educated… If only, they had had more money… If only, she didn’t have to worry about her younger sister and brother… If only she didn’t have to repay that housing loan… She began to feel small when compared to Manoj’s flamboyance. Her self assurance, which had survived many an assault in the formative years of her career, seemed to have suffered a death blow in Manoj’s presence. Life seemed unfair.


Now tell me, Vikrams of the world.. Whose achievement was greater? Was it Manoj’s ? Or Sandhya’s? Do the ends matter more than the means? Does the world see how arduous your path was? How difficult your journey was? And how far your starting point was? Or does it merely look at the heights you have scaled? Even if they are mostly consequences of a fortunate birth?

Sandhya herself couldn’t take pride in her success, and yearned for being someone else. Is that view that she has of herself, or is that a perspective that the world forces on her?

If you dream strong enough, your dreams become reality. But sometimes, reality can come in the way of your dreams, however strong they are. Has Sandhya lost her dream because she chose to be a realist?

Vethal’s Corner - 1

A Success Story

Your chances of success are directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do." - Michael Korda

Raj and Suraj were best friends.

Both of them were good students. But Raj excelled in extra curricular activities as well, especially at oratory where he was a natural pro. When it came to academics, Raj studied for pleasure, and was good at what he did, while Suraj worked with a motive, that is, to consistently top the class.

Both of them were adored by their classmates, and teachers, with Suraj claiming a slightly higher share of the teachers’ adulation.
Suraj, however admired Raj for his flair in oratory and secretly yearned to be like him. He accompanied Raj to all his competitions, and was the best under-study that one could hope to be.

So deep was his desire for emulating Raj, that Suraj once told Raj “Your speech today was mind-blowing! Not a single day goes by, without me wishing to be you!”

Raj was taken aback by this statement. “How can one wish to be someone else??? You are your own absolute. Don’t ever compare yourself to others”.

But, Suraj’s longing was insatiable. He continued to follow Raj’s moves like a puppy. This sometimes irked Raj, for he was used to having his space. Suraj obviously was blind to his friend’s discomfort. He stuck to Raj during the day like a leech, and burned the midnight oil, trying to repeat the day’s speech in front of the mirror.

It was the Annual inter-school oratorical competition. The school, as usual, had nominated Raj to represent them. Suraj however had enrolled as an independent contestant.

After a fiercely fought contest, the judges declared “It was a close call. Both had very good ideas and counter points. But the subtleties of oratory were flawlessly displayed by Suraj, whom we declare the winner”.

Raj was crest-fallen. He refused to speak to Suraj thereafter. Suraj continued to win laurels. But at the corner of his mind, could never figure out why Raj broke their friendship.
He once overheard Raj saying to someone, “He is a phony. Even Charlie Chaplin didn’t win a look-alike contest of himself. Suraj simply aped me. He lacks the gift. One needs the inner spark to go on forever. The hype and hoopla is bound to die down soon.. All that glitters isn’t gold”.
Although these words hurt Suraj, he couldn’t deny or accept their import completely.

Now, Vikrams of the world, was Suraj a pilferer? Was his claim to genius fraudulent? Isn’t Genius 1 % inspiration and 99% perspiration? What about being blessed with talent, then?

Or as Raj said, would Suraj’s trail of glory peter out? His desire to be like Raj drove Suraj towards his claim to fame, what if that motive force disappears?

Suraj did not have the love or passion for oratory that Raj had, but that didn’t stop him from being a great orator, did it? Is passion for work the key to success, or is it passion for anything that is the key to success?

Suraj could have won the medals and prizes in something that he really loved, was he being superficial in choosing oratory?
By observing Raj and copying him, wasn’t Suraj inventing a “formula” for success?” Like following the trends of exam questions of the past 15 years and scoring 90% without knowing the ABC’s of the subject?

Hasn’t Suraj’s way to victory discouraged Raj who genuinely possessed the talent and love for oratory?


P.S:

This comes on the wake of Saraswathy Pooja. Saw a documentary on a Malayalam channel (guess it was DD) on the value of real ‘education’. Although, I understood the dialogues only in bits and pieces, the concluding line reached deep. It went like this: “Children, you don’t study for your father, you don’t study for your mother, you don’t study for teacher, nor do you study for your country. Then whom do you study for? Yourself.” (A pathetic literal translation. Please excuse.)