Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It was my day of Introspection

Do you get this feeling of just running away into another world unknown? Today that was the mood of my day.


Naturally, it was my introspection day. A day that must save my days and my life.


As we grow being a toddler to a runner, we learn to ask questions, to absorb new sights, to ask for toffees by every minute, to play a new game and the list is endless. We go to school and collect new experiences. We go to college and learn to smoke, to drink, and of course, to woo girlfriends. 


Then we start earning. We start hunting for the best job. We aspire to drive the best bike and then the best possible car.


This exponential series of adapting to and accepting new things, learning new tricks of the trade slowly but surely gets us all into the virtual realm of Maya. Maya that is addictive. Maya that is overwhelming. 


One Sunday afternoon, I vividly remember my father saying, 'I want to stop having mutton'. Then I had asked, why on earth do you want to quit mutton. He said, I am completing a natural cycle of taking everything and then trying to leave everything. I thought, "whatever" and continued chewing the tasty liver.


Today I suddenly understand what he meant. I am starting on my next phase of life - the phase of giving up and giving back.


This is my 12th year of my professional life. 11th year of slogging in Mumbai.


I have already given up cold drinks, given up chocolates (almost), given up sweets (almost), trying to give up smoking (which perhaps would always be 'trying to'). Today, I feel like giving up Mumbai.


I don't mean the city. I mean the life. (unfortunately, the city and the life are conjoint twins)


We cant give up earning and the chaos that you have to go through to earn a decent life. But we sure can give up the crazy decibels, crazy traffic, crazy working hours, crazy cost of living, and the smoke filled, dust filled star-less sky.


It is also a time to give back. It is a time give back what I have learnt, what I have experience and what I have earned. 


Its a time to give back the love that my parents showered. Would they ever come to Mumbai to stay with me. Never. So should I go back to Assam and be with them in their lonely times?


Its a time to give back to the society. To start counseling the youths to make a career. To help a bit to take Assam into an economic growth trajectory. To start contributing to culture, to preserve and promote it. 


Did I get enough time to think clearly and to arrive at some resolutions. Of course, not. Mumbai hardly gives you that much personal space and time. I had another great busy day. Quite a lot of problem solving, delegation and management was done.


I perhaps need another day of Introspection !





8 comments:

  1. what about giving back to the CITY where you have earned your NAME!
    MUMBAI has given you everything..so i think its not the time to run away,
    there is a saying..
    Namak ka karz chukana aasan nehi:)mumbai needs people like you !!

    well written..i enjoyed reading your sunday "STATE OF MIND"

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  2. Anonymous12:50 PM

    City life is a boon and a curse. You love the pace, the opportunities, glamour till a certain stage in your life and then perspective changes to see the flipsides like traffic, no personal space, hectic work etc. We all are now thinking about the quality of life spent. Did relate to your blog and agree with the joy of giving back.
    I am not done collecting yet  but yes, do think about giving back to family and reflect on my changing priorities. A good read… - Shubhra

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  3. This all boils down to individual decisions. Hope what you eventually do after introspection turns out to be a good, well thought-out decision.

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  4. Anonymous4:06 PM

    It is Really Intresting , it is Very Touchy a very deep Thinking toward Life Karma!!!

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  5. Dilip Purohit8:54 PM

    Durlov Sir, there are very few people like U who living in mumbai for a Long time, really care and thinking "Its a time to give back to the society. To start counseling the youths to make a career. To start contributing to culture, to preserve and promote it. " of their native place.

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  6. Anonymous11:00 AM

    A good read! And the first time I'm reading a blog of someone originally from the North-East. You should contribute towards making your home-state grow.. the North East really needs to come into mainstream India more :|

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  7. Thank you for your perspective. We try to do a few things here and there. We are organising a cultural fest at the prestigious NCPA in Mumbai on the November 13th. Please do come to experience Assam.
    Please visit www.facebook.com/Kuhipaat.Foundation

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  8. again a nice post...keep posting!!

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