Tete-e-Tete with Past … I

“What happened Son,why are you looking so disturbed? Is there anything I can help you with?”.

I was surprised to hear this voice and made me come out of a deep thought. I looked back and saw an elderly man standing behind me. I got up and was not sure if I know him. He looked familiar but could not remember where I have seen him.

He kept his hand on my shoulder and sat on the bench. I sat beside him and asked, “Do I know you?”.

He responded with a smile, “Not sure, but I know you. Just consider me as your great grand father”.

Looking at his age he looked like a 90-year-old man so it was difficult for me consider him as my great grand father but anyway, I am in no mood to build a relationship here.

He once again asked, “You look worried son?”.

“I am not worried, was just busy in my thoughts” I responded and was not interested in discussing my life with a stranger. But one thing was true that I somehow felt as if he is close to me

“You are so lucky to have such a great life in such a golden period. When I was of your age, we hardly had so many facilities and exposure. You can travel to places with such a great speed without physical effort. You get information at a button click. At this age, if you have will, you can get anything that you need. Your age has given every individual an opportunity to do anything they want. That was not the case in our age. You must thank almighty for all these. We have struggled for everything that you get now in no time and little effort.” he kept on appreciating the current age.

“Dadu (I addressed him as Grand father), all these are facilities but you have not seen the tension we have now a days. We have to always over smart ourselves everyday to survive. If you are at work, you have to perform better than yesterday. Everything that we get or buy or achieve today becomes old tomorrow. There is no single day when we feel satisfied because there is something more to achieve or acquire. This was not the case when you were young. You were satisfied with whatever you did and whatever you had for a longer period of time.We do not get that satisfaction ever.

We are always walking on an ascending but slippery path. The moment I decide to stop, it will drag me down. All will be ahead of me. I have to be best of myself always to survive. Is there a way out?”.

He laughed loudly and said, “Now, you came to the point. You said you were not worried but I see you were truly worried. I would rather say, you are confused hence worried. It is the growth around you and options in front of you that is confusing you and making you worried.”.

I listened to him quietly without switching on my thought engine. He continued, “You have multiple exciting choices in front of you and you want to avail all at once.

Let me give you one example. If you want to listen music, you have multiple music apps in your mobile phone, couple of thousand songs downloaded to your phone or laptop, websites where you can play music free of cost, music channel in your television, radio channels playing music all day long, Old songs in your mind which you want to sing yourself, Music of nature etc etc.

So you are confused which one to opt. You switch on the radio and like first couple of songs then switch to another mode then again switch to another, ultimately, you spend your time in choosing the medium than listening to music. It doesn’t give the the pleasure of listening to music.

At your work place, you want to become technically and functionally strong so that you can become indispensable, then you want to go in management ladder so that you can have authority, then you want to work on latest technologies so that you can make yourself ready for upcoming opportunities, by the time you learn one new technology that becomes obsolete etc. So you spend your time in choosing rather than focusing on a particular career.”.

I immediately interrupted, “I would disagree with you dadu in your examples. Now a days organizations are expecting you to be good at your work, become full-stack developer, have leadership skills, project management certifications and remain up to date with market. We hardly have any choice.”.

“Ha Ha Ha! That’s the illusion my son, you choose one first and focus on that with 100% effort, rest all will follow you. If you choose all at once, you will not achieve any of these.”.

I received a phone call from my manager that there is a critical issues to be handled immediately. I excused myself and asked for permission to leave for now with a promise to meet again tomorrow. I wanted the conversation to continue further. Dadu promised to meet me tomorrow at the same place at same time.

Namaste

– Stray Dog

Related Posts:

Tete-e-Tete With Past … II (Concern about Society)

Tete-e-Tete With Past … III (Relationships)

Tete-e-Tete With Past … IV (Missing Leaders in Society)

Tete-e-Tete With Past … V (Importance of Loved Ones)

Tete-e-Tete With Past … VI (Friction in Relationship)

Tete-e-Tete With Past … VII (Problems)