The sound of the rain woke him up and his feet walked him out to embrace it. His skin glowed with the touch of every raindrop and the smell of the earth made him smile. He had to get out and drench himself silly in every watery descent of the clouds above. Nature was his first love and this was one of his ways to live.
His heart rejoiced at the sight of his daughter. Her laughter was his lullaby. Her presence was his prayer answered. Her dimples were his eye candies. Her hugs and kisses were his peace. He loved his coffee and enjoyed his untimely forty winks on the couch. Simple things made him happy. The child in him was always alive even in times of adversity and strife. He smiled his way into people's hearts and his eyes sought love, friendship and happiness in every aspect of his daily routine. The earth was his playground and he loved his world.
He was a genius with an unmatched memory, an avid reader who doubled up as his journalist/ novelist wife's best critic, a spiritual wanderer who knew where God resided, and a connoisseur of many fields - literature, sculpture, history, geography, mathematics, and astronomy, among others.
His little feet carried him through many a grueling grind, to the most magnificent of ancient architectural masterpieces, to the banks of almost every Indian river, to the depths of the thickest forests, to the homes of his countless friends and finally to the stairs of heaven.
He redefined simplicity. He was always there for anyone who needed him. He ensured he visited everyone he knew in every neighborhood that he passed through. He would do anything to make others happy. And along his adventurous and arduous journey, he unwittingly ensured that there could never be another of his kind. He gave me wings and the will to dream. He is always around and his little feet's number is the best track I'd ever hear.
Take care, Dad. May the Gods be kind on your soul.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Mettle Class!
Most of us have been seemingly stunned by the developments in the global markets. These are tiring and trying times for each of us. The meltdown has led to some drastic steps taken by a few individuals while many more are a worried lot. In India, the game has just begun.
The likes of me have never invested in the stock markets and that by no measure means that we are insulated from the spin-offs of this global chaos. News reports talk of a slowdown in almost every sector. B-schools are a worried lot with most companies likely to stay away from campuses. IT firms have suddenly clamped down on their indirect costs and are taking extreme measures for cost control. Consolidation of the workforce is another hot issue of discussion these days in the murmury corners of offices across the board.
Working professionals in most industries are treading the line of caution and are literally playing it safe. This has augured well for some companies where the productivity levels have actually improved with people working harder to ensure they don't come under the scanner. Yes, there is a positive flipside to the chaos after all. If only the tenet of perseverance was an ever prevalent factor rather than the Excalibur of severance goading people to work harder.
Performance is something I have always retained at the top of the value chain. It is the ability to assess, analyze and adapt that works best for anyone who believes in the art of living. It is the inherent ability to introspect well enough to be able to tide over the rough waves of uncertainty. Asset balancing and spend management are a couple of terms that are high on one's evaluation list when it comes to tightening one's urge to splurge.
The middle class has paved way for the 'Mettle Class'. And we are the 'Mettle' Class. This creed of professionals has always been around in a state of dormancy. In fact, the middle class reeks of mettle. However, these times have evoked the latent caution triggers into motion. We are the ones who have worked hard to make the investment made in us (read 'education') make a difference to our lives and the society at large in some form. The average consumer spending in India shot through the roof over the past few years and the easy availability of credit only added to the surge. But the boom period also opened avenues of destruction in its own subtle way. Riding high on the mettle factor, almost everyone jumped on the 'acquire' bandwagon.
Acquire a house (why? Because you felt settled!), acquire the best gadgets (why? Because the guy next to you at work has it), acquire a swanky car (even if it meant that a smaller one would have still taken you through the next decade without offering a space crunch), acquire an accent (why? Because you wanted to be treated as the 'global' person)... The list is actually quite endless but I will draw a line here to get back to the mettle factor. There is nothing wrong with being in 'acquire' mode as long as it doesn't outrun your ability to keep pace with it.
The mettle factor is our trump card for sustenance, for survival and for glory. We need to nurture it to ensure that the future continues to be secure. Hail the Mettle Class!
The likes of me have never invested in the stock markets and that by no measure means that we are insulated from the spin-offs of this global chaos. News reports talk of a slowdown in almost every sector. B-schools are a worried lot with most companies likely to stay away from campuses. IT firms have suddenly clamped down on their indirect costs and are taking extreme measures for cost control. Consolidation of the workforce is another hot issue of discussion these days in the murmury corners of offices across the board.
Working professionals in most industries are treading the line of caution and are literally playing it safe. This has augured well for some companies where the productivity levels have actually improved with people working harder to ensure they don't come under the scanner. Yes, there is a positive flipside to the chaos after all. If only the tenet of perseverance was an ever prevalent factor rather than the Excalibur of severance goading people to work harder.
Performance is something I have always retained at the top of the value chain. It is the ability to assess, analyze and adapt that works best for anyone who believes in the art of living. It is the inherent ability to introspect well enough to be able to tide over the rough waves of uncertainty. Asset balancing and spend management are a couple of terms that are high on one's evaluation list when it comes to tightening one's urge to splurge.
The middle class has paved way for the 'Mettle Class'. And we are the 'Mettle' Class. This creed of professionals has always been around in a state of dormancy. In fact, the middle class reeks of mettle. However, these times have evoked the latent caution triggers into motion. We are the ones who have worked hard to make the investment made in us (read 'education') make a difference to our lives and the society at large in some form. The average consumer spending in India shot through the roof over the past few years and the easy availability of credit only added to the surge. But the boom period also opened avenues of destruction in its own subtle way. Riding high on the mettle factor, almost everyone jumped on the 'acquire' bandwagon.
Acquire a house (why? Because you felt settled!), acquire the best gadgets (why? Because the guy next to you at work has it), acquire a swanky car (even if it meant that a smaller one would have still taken you through the next decade without offering a space crunch), acquire an accent (why? Because you wanted to be treated as the 'global' person)... The list is actually quite endless but I will draw a line here to get back to the mettle factor. There is nothing wrong with being in 'acquire' mode as long as it doesn't outrun your ability to keep pace with it.
The mettle factor is our trump card for sustenance, for survival and for glory. We need to nurture it to ensure that the future continues to be secure. Hail the Mettle Class!
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