The NEW of the OLD

As I was changing radio stations on my new ipod player on my way to work, I stumbled on a station that was luckily playing a few old songs and I was happy and elated to finally hear those favorites all over again. I saw myself humming along those songs in no time and going to work on a Monday morning didn’t seem so boring after all. While I enjoyed those songs everything seem to suddenly look so beautiful, the Bombay weather seemed a little chilly finally, people around look happier, I felt happier and therefore more confident. Like a few good old memories had just changed my complete perspective. It suddenly dawned on me that this always happens to me when ever I stumble upon things I leave behind. Lets start from those old clothes that were your favourite and always made you look good, when you clean your cupboard they always bring a smile on your face cause they make you feel good, ah! I was so thin once upon a time. Those school pictures, the ones where the class was suppose to take pictures together standing in height order and people would fight who would sit next to the class teacher. That old car which was really so embarrassing but so much of sentimental value for your dad, you just couldn’t understand why he couldn’t part with it and get you a new one!

Those old saris which your mom wore for her wedding and our all coming back into fashion, you gleam with happiness and your mom is so happy thinking you like her choice and she was fashionable when she was young. The old jewelry which your mom leaves behind trust me don’t think you will find those antique pieces ever. Those old friends whom you bump into at the school reunion or on facebook, that expression of seeing those school mates as wives, mothers and mother in laws is priceless! Those old days which you spent in the school canteen, those days when you were punished outside the class, the madness of staying awake and studying, or the photocopying of notes just before the exam, fighting for the bathroom in the hostel, stealing ‘ghar ka khana’ from some hostel mate, having no pocket money by the 15th of the month and taking ‘udhar’(loan) all seem to go by bringing a smile on your face. Those moments never come back but they are saved in the best moments of your life in the archives of your memory.
We get so engrossed with all that is present and new that we forget all that was important back then and what we are actually made of. New relationships, new friends, new house, new work place that the old seems to suddenly catch dust and the new shines brighter than before just like mastercard reunion ad, one of my favourites along with the famous song "purani jeans aur gitar....'
Clean the dust and visit those old letters, those dried flowers which you saved between your old books, those jeans which you once fitted into, those friends who were the foundation of your growing up years. Don’t lose touch with who you were and trust me you will find the ‘New in the OLD’ and will be happier than ever before.

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Young and Restless

It was a lazy Saturday evening with friends and some freshly brewed coffee. It was after a long time that all of us decided to do nothing and to just catch up on life. As the evening progressed and our conversations moved from the regular humour and banter to sharing dreams and ambitions I realized how the quest to rise and rise fast is the only thing on the minds of the youth today.

I will admit that I am a part of this clan. Our need to accomplish and accomplish at a younger age is taking over a lot of 'me' time or 'family' time. As we discussed our goals and lives 5 years down the line, there were comments like "boss jaldi paisa kamana hai, par kaise?"(I want to make some quick money but how?) "I don't mind doing anything dude but its gotta be quick". Our parents had the time we don't ya, where's the time? Our parents went for their first foreign holiday at 50; we want to do it at 20 and our kids at 2. That's the pace and we all need to keep up.

As the discussion moved on we came to discussing babies and how it’s so expensive to raise them and so time consuming and restricting to careers, personal accomplishment, relationships, travel that it’s best to restrict it to one. My mind drifted away to the conversation I had a few weeks ago with my mom and remembered her words, “you’ll think so much about yourselves vs. us who thought about our kids all the time.” She is often amazed at how every activity in our lives is so planned and calculated including having kids. She often tells me “don’t think so much, har baccha ya insaan apna naseeb leke aata hai.”(Each child/person will come with his fate, so don’t think so much). Sub consciously I thought my god it would be such a riot if my mom was part of this discussion.

We then moved onto social skills and how it’s so important to network to climb that ladder fast. All the boys defended themselves saying that's why they keep doing their boys night out. (We believe them). I agree that today your social skills and ability to network that can get you going and going great places. The result is obviously evident with the amount of time we spend on these social networking sites.

It was almost dawn as we discussed our lives, we all agreed with some and disagreed with some. I listened to all my friends intently, soul searching and trying to identify traits that drive all of us today keeping us so young and restless

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