"But you see," said Roark quietly. 'I have, let's say sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I have chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I'm only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards – and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one." - The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand, 1943
You will realise the meaning of this quote by the end of this blog, I believe, If not mail me.
Tonight at around 9 o Clock, I was surfing through the TV channels to idle away some time. When I was surfing, I happened to see Nasser's (For those who don't know Nasser, he is a Tamil artist, acts, writes and directs films, tele-films, drams, a superb creator) face in Vijay TV. Being a fan of Nasser, I decided to watch the drama believing that it will not be yet another idiotic sentimental Tamil drama which is a common site these days. My belief was not dashed, what I saw in the next forty of minutes of the drama, made me not only to take a walk through my Adayar neighborhood and but revisit the days right from my childhood.
The story of the drama titled Manam (Mind in English, hope I got it correct, I am not a great translator) was this,
Tonight at around 9 o Clock, I was surfing through the TV channels to idle away some time. When I was surfing, I happened to see Nasser's (For those who don't know Nasser, he is a Tamil artist, acts, writes and directs films, tele-films, drams, a superb creator) face in Vijay TV. Being a fan of Nasser, I decided to watch the drama believing that it will not be yet another idiotic sentimental Tamil drama which is a common site these days. My belief was not dashed, what I saw in the next forty of minutes of the drama, made me not only to take a walk through my Adayar neighborhood and but revisit the days right from my childhood.
The story of the drama titled Manam (Mind in English, hope I got it correct, I am not a great translator) was this,
"There is a boy, aged around 12, from an upper middle class family. He is quite passionate about football (like me, but I never fancied a career in it), he enjoys playing and watching the sport and hopes to make a career out of it. He is taking tuitions from one of his school teacher, whose husband turns out to be Nasser. He tells Nasser about his passion. Nasser encourages that boy, makes him believe that he will go on to become a great player and would don India team colors some day.
The boy's inclination towards football impacts his studies a bit. He his exam scores take a dip. His father and mother, just like any other South Indian parents don't like this. They ask him to abandon football and look into studies which alone they say will give him a good future. The boy argues, begs but of no avail. He withdraws from his school team due to his father's wishes, but clandestinely plays football then and there.
On the eve of an important match for his school, a player in the team gets injured and the coach asks whether he will able to play that match. The boy pleads with his father to allow him play that match alone, but his father doesn't budge. He is confused, he would love to play for his team but his father won't allow it. Finally he decides to play without his parents knowledge, but his parents somehow sniff something is wrong. On the day of the match, they lock him in the house and go out. He desperately tries to come out.
Finding no alternative to come out of the house, the poor kid jumps out from his apartment in the first floor (I believe, not sure) into a lawn. As they say, fate has its own piece of irony, he fractures his spine and his lower part of the body becomes immobile."
After that how Nasser inspires him to lead his life is a different story.
When I saw this drama, I just traveled back to my school days. I have seen a Volleyball player, a Violinist, a football player, a dancer who all would have gone to build a great career, now working or studying unrelated to what they would have loved to do.
I also wondering, how many of us are doing the job we were doing without love?
Studying well, doing a B.E. or M.B.A and getting salary in thousands don't mean that a person will be happy, why people don't realise this?
I have seen many who are earning thousands, but still leading a restless life.
I will not assure you that a person if he or she pursues the career will go on to become a legend in his domain, but he will enjoy his life. For those who love only money and lavishes, I don't have an answer.
I would like to tell a small story, my friend Kani told when I went to Bangalore last week.
Hope everyone knows the Fox and the sour grapes story, here it is retold,
"Once in a forest a young Fox saw a vine yard. Hanging high were bunches of grapes which would appeal to everyone, the Fox was no exception. On seeing those grapes hanging beautiful all over, its mouth watered. It tried to jump and have a taste of those grapes. After a number of repeated attempts, it still could not make it. It gave up and went off, saying that the grapes are sour.
On the way, it met an old Fox, the old Fox asked "Where are you coming from?"
The Fox answered, "I saw a vine yard with a lot of juicy grapes. I tried to eat some, and then I realized the grapes are sour and hence I started off".
The old Fox said, " You young fool, don't say that the grapes are sour, say that you are lazy, hopeless and you didn't try your best. The grapes are really tasty, go and try it if you want to see it for yourselves".
The young fox was pumped up, it wanted to prove it can but above that, it wanted to taste the grapes.
So, it went back, tried, tried, went on trying for days, months and years. Almost half its life span had gone, when it did it.
The news spread around the forest like fire. Everybody was amazed about how the fox jumped and plucked the grapes which were so high. Newspapers, media persons, photographers, animals thronged to catch a glimpse of the fox.
One media person asked, "Hi Mr. you have did it at last, congratulations. I have a small question for you, how were the grapes? "
The fox without expression said, "The Grapes were really sour".
The media person asked, "Then, why are you so happy?"
The fox smiled and said, "The grapes were sour indeed, that is a different issue. For all these years, I had just one notion to taste those grapes, I kept on trying and trying. I enjoyed each and every moment of the challenge, and I am satisfied over it. I don't care how the grapes taste. I am happy that I tried my best. I can't worry about an issue which I don't have control."
That is life, if a person does what he likes, he will enjoy the defeats and victories equally. To him, competing will bring pleasure than anything else.
The person cannot become a person like Sachin Tendulkar, Pete Sampras, Napolean and a Senna who all have natural talents. He can become a Rahul Dravid, Andre Agassi, Martin Luther King, Damon Hill who all become great through hard work, dedication, passion for their careers.
It may be too late for persons of our generation to restart our careers (I reckon, it still can be done), at least lets allow the future generation to have the career they like.
I love writing blogs, but there is no point in expecting my kid to write a blog when he doesn't even like to read one.
You might have wished to become a doctor or some other, but it doesn't mean your Kid also must like doing it. They will have their own liking, let them do that.
If I marry(Certainly don't know who she isas of now) and if I have a child, I will allow my kid to become a cricketer or a footballer or a pianist or a cartoonist or an actor or a model or a writer or an orator, anything my kid would wish to do. I don't care whether my kid will become a legend, I don't want it. I want my kid to be happy, thats it.
I and my wife will be happy if my kid is happy.
Every child loves to do something, remember even you did it.
At least allow your child to do what they love.
The day everyone in this country do what they love, I will call that day, India has become a developed nation.
Only you and I can do it, sit back and think a moment about it
11 comments:
Rightly said mayil, motivating a child towards what he aspire to do in life is really the foremost duty of parents. That will mold the child so that in future he will "set his own standards".
A very thoughtful post Satish! And yes it is never very late to pursue what you like - people like me are pulling through daily drudgery only because we are working everyday towards that day when we will be doing exactly what we want - become an entrepreneur, run your own art magazine, publish books, become a poet...thats about my list. And I'll get there someday.
(Sriram C S B.E. (ECE) 1999-2003 batch)
This is something very serious to be brought to notice of this genre of Parents. Those days it was hard to find a job, get an income and ll have to take care of family, so every body wanted to get a highly paid job irrespective of their personal liking n satisfaction. Time has changed now.
Parents should give the child freedom, support and encouragement to do what the child likes the most. Instead parents expect child to show implicit obedience and do the same or force them to take up the kind of profession they want, this is very unfair.
It is always a special feeling, kind of joy, contentment that u derive from doing what u really love to do which can't be experienced from any other job u do. It is finally WE who are to be blamed. We(general category)lack the kind of perseverance or determination to do what we like, we accept life the way it comes.
People who have determination and self-confidence will def achieve their dreams and reach the Zenith of success in the way they wanted and I am sure the day is not very far off when we are going to call India as ‘Developed nation’.
This blog of yours is going to make every body think for a while and change their attitude towards life and profession. If not for us will definitely have influence on our child, sister, brother or cousins career life.
Nice post Satish. your thot is rite. Bt passion and profession are different. When u can make ur own bed and bread, then u can work only for ur passion. Parents force to make us lead a comfortable life. coz its 1 in billion who bcome atleast a state level celebrity..if we prov ourselves, they would be more happy to see us on screens.... Its very rare to have a case, where u lose ur passion coz of ur parents.... Passion is something which is apart from restrictions....
I accept with all things you said. But i see a few practical difficulties. Can you answer them?
1. Every child(5-9 years old) wants to become what his father is.
2. Every kid(10-14) wants to become Rajni or Sachin. Not Milkha Singh, Pranoy Roy or Albert Einstein.
3. Every teenager also wants to be someone famous like: Rajni Kanth, be a pop singer.
Essentially, what I am trying to get at is the likes, dislikes of a person changes with time. If you leta kid choose his career you would have 3 million cricketers, 100 football players, 0 politicians, 0 nuclear scientists.
But what you say is absolutely true. I differ very slightly from it. I would say: A person must not be afraid to deviate from one's career at any point of time. You are a 22 yr old software engg. You must not be afraid to quityour job and take up music as a career if that interests you.
Ya . . an important thought ..
But I think these are the reasons for which we are sticked to ( or forced to choose - as you say ) money earning careers ...
1. The tradition and culture we born and bought up giving high values to familiy culture - which is largely opposite to other cultures where parents are less dependant on their children and vice versa ofcourse . For Example Parents in western countries wont bother to save money for their child's future but its not the case here. Also you are freebird there, once you matured - you can decide your path as no need to earn money for your parents.
But here every parent wants their children to be socially (read : economically) developed or atleast a step above their current position. They never want their child to choose the same careeexcept those who r as they pusue are Doctors - who wants their child to become a doctor to lead their Hospital, which is an obvious thinking for every businessman who wants his child to look after his business.
2.The next thing is confidence of both parents and children - Parents dont want their child to take risk i.e. to go on with his interested career where the growth may be very less. Even children are half-minded while deciding a career after twelveth. They are not ready to take risks. For exampple a boy or girl feels better to go for a professional course then to an other course unless his/her parents are rich to invest a large sum for the career if needed.Even many including me are not confident or futuristic enough to think of what we are going to do in future. Most of us are living the life as it goes and always want to be safer side.
TO change this scenario - the following things can be done .
We can swith over to our desired career after earning some money to support family. Then its safe to take risk for us.
We can bring up our children by showing the whole world of opportunities and let him/her decide wat he/she interested and proceed.
This is an awesome post.
I would suggest the writer to write a bit more on this topic before switching to something else.
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Hey. just read this post.
Vaaipe illa! I strongly believe in the same.
You can't blame the parents of this generation. they just want the kids to be rich and think everything else will follow.
This is curious, especially because even they would have had quashed dreams. Why they don't let the children do what they want to do is what we need to look into.
It is never too early or too late to do something we like.
The last line of the prev comment had nothing to do with the rest of it. Independent statement.
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