Post retirement life (especially when you retire at 46) is great. No need of pretending that you carry the burden of this world and torturing your blackberry, wife and children in that order and secretly cursing your bosses for the measly salary hike and denying the richly deserved promotion.
The world suddenly is looking more beautiful than before. The flip side is -you end up watching all channels on TV and end up discussing everything under the sun with others who are equally jobless.
Anna Hazare has made my life miserable. I have friends and relatives who have strong views and talking about Anna means making somebody unhappy. Dhoni and his men were very good to me. They ensured the views and opinions of everybody remained the same - only the degree of abuses were different. Do I have any opinion on Jan Lokpal ?- as they say opinions are like your backside and everybody has one and I am no exception. Just that, like lakhs of people who are protesting even I have not read either the Jan Lokpal or the so called Government Lokpal. But I guess who cares? You should have a view if you are an Indian.
I like the stamina of Anna - fasting for 9 days (still counting....) and still addressing the crowd for 30 minutes a day is amazing. Last time I fasted for 1 day, I was struggling to talk coherently to my wife. It is another matter that my wife thought I was perfectly fine as I don't make sense to her most of the times. Arvind Kejriwal looked more tired than Anna evn without fasting- I am sure he would have eaten a few biscuits in many of his so called negotiations. Anna has now become my role model. He is giving a run for money for most of the firms which offer public speaking courses. I am sure one of them will drag him to court for ruining their business.
Despite this detailed analysis, I am branded a non-indian by my friends. Otherwise how the hell am I avoiding going to freedom park and waving the tri-colour ? May be I am very shy to show my support to Jan Lokpal - what if sombody asks me how it will solve day to day corruption ?. My friends tell me not to worry - nobody knows the difference between Lokpal (or did I hear Jokpal) and Jan Lokpal including the TV anchors. I just need to shout "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" whenever a cue is given. This will take away the stigma and make me a true Indian.
I have decided to try this. For starters I increased my prayer time by 15 minutes to add the additional request to god - "God, please make me an Indian and do it fast before Anna ends his fast". I almost heard an answer to my paryers - "Son don't worry. With congress leaders still around for 3 more years, you will have many more chances to become an Indian ". Now I am happy. I will become an Indian one day.
Good one... since you are jobless by your own definition hope to see many more of these...
ReplyDeleteDear Srini,
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me. I don't know you. But you are my role model from this day on. I am 43, you are 46. I wan't to retire at 46. Pl. advice.
BTW, I did read beyond the first paragraph. Very good first post. But I would prefer to focus on the first paragraph for now :-)
Murali
Nice attempt to add wit to a serious situation, which every Indian is talking in the last few days. May be you should create one more blog by comparing it with a filmy thriller or one-day cricket match - manu
ReplyDeleteGrave situation expressed succinctly and weaved with wit.
ReplyDeleteThis interesting world has two kinds of people. (1) who do things and substantiate how their actions are great (2) who substantiate for not doing things that may seem non-conventional. These two categories are the final outcome of the four types we see everyday viz., think a lot and do; do without thinking; think a lot but don’t do; neither think nor do.
ReplyDeleteBut then out of the two who are really correct ? My (Correct) answer is neither or both. Because the basic aim in life, at least for people of our country with the kind of culture and beliefs we inherit, is beyond all kinds of substantiations. However the reality is much more funnier than the funniest thing on this world – By the time we correctly recognise the basic aim of life, most of the lifespan would have been over.
Congrats to Srini for starting a nice hobby – Also congrats to people around him as they are saved from him at least for the time he is busy with his blog. All the best.