Being well-educated

As usual train travel, throws a gamut of lessons at you. Some which you are happy that you were acquainted to and some that you wish you hadn't ever heard about. But, what remains the best part about this sojourn is the fact that it raises several issues which are pertinent and gets you thinking.
An incident happened the other day where a lady tried to put the others down stating that she is 'well-educated'. She even went to the limit of stating that the others hailed from 'roadside'. These two terms do raise several questions.
One: Knowledge they say is actually meant to humble down. Simply, because owing to the knowledge you learn to look at the 'why' apart from the 'what'. Which in effect means you have a better understanding of the situation which you lacked as a kid. By asserting that you are 'well-educated' and that others are not, you are essentially challenging the purpose of being qualified.
Two: When you choose to state that you are better than the others, you need to know who and what the others are. In the given scenario, the lady was completely oblivious to us or our backgrounds for that matter. So, making such a statement proves to be nothing but an act of puerility as you can't just assume things.
Three: Knowledge basically inculcates a sense of discipline and respect for yourself and the others. When by the virtue of being 'knowledgeable' you fail to realise that, it just means that all the years that you invested in studying (if you were) were nothing but a waste of time.
Four: Most of all, knowledge is meant to make you more accommodating. If it teaches you become snooty and contemptuous and divisive, just chuck your degree out of the window now, because you have failed it on all counts.
There maybe various other points which may come up as we think over this argument. There may be some which may even overlap. But, what is important is that we need to start 'thinking' about it.

Manjiri

Thankless job

Two incidents, similar endings.

A lady gets into the train. Yours truly has managed to grab her window seat. With the earphones on and a book in hand, is trying hard to get lost into a world of her own, while still being a part of the so-called worldly affairs. At that juncture, a lady gets into the compartment. With a body language that could scare almost anybody and the expression on her face to match with it, she asks something to me. Earphones out. I, with my distracted self, concentrate on what she is saying. “Where will you get off?” is the question. I answer. Wake me up at "this" station. I say yes and try to carry on with my work. Conscious that I shouldn't miss her station, I wake her up, a station before her station. She gets up, stands at the door. Lets the cool breeze dash against her face and gets off.

A tiny tot, who is incidentally a hawker, gets into the compartment. Stares at someone eating the tiffin. Is offered the food. She has it. Is given water to drink and some more food to eat. The girl eats, drinks and leaves.

Regards,
Manjiri

Money matters

As a middle class person, you always tend to realise the importance of money more than anything else. You know what it is like to live without it and you know why it is so important to have it. But, what happens when the urge to earn money supersedes every other feeling. Not to be misconstrued, I am not against people who work hard to earn the money or dream big. The problem is when the means are wrong. The richness that you have earned is out of backstabbing, hurting, cheating someone. How do you justify that?
It's not about being judgmental. Every living being in his or her lifetime has the right to live the right way and pursue their dreams. At times, certain compromises are expected of them, which they are wiling to make. So far, so good. But the problem arises when in the drive to move ahead, people start making an effort to push others behind. That by any standard is not right. Simply because while you choose to move ahead, you have no right to decide that others should trail. Not to say, you should not move ahead. Only that you need not shove anyone behind. Coz, you too wouldn't be comfortable if someone tries to push you. Also, you don't have a right to cheat someone. Simply because no dream can ever rest on the efforts put in by someone else. You can beg, borrow, steal. But will that ever give you the satisfaction of having achieved it. Will it ever give you the peace of mind. Perhaps, something around which all of us revolve.
The reason for this thought crossing my mind is something that I saw at close quarters in recent past. Backstabbing in the meanest form. An effort to rob someone off their home. Yes, I say home, because that is what it is for the person in question. A home built out of the money earned in the lifetime. A home raised with the dreams of seeing your future generations live in the same house. All that was shattered in a minute. And all this was done by a blood relative.
It surprises, stuns and leaves me speechless.

Manjiri

Random thoughts

I have seen relationships crumble just like a pack of cards. I know how it feels when you don't talk to a person you really care a lot for. I know what it feels when you know the circumstances are not right and so are you.
But, there are times when the intention of the person is not right. The one who is wronged is your own and you don't know whether he is to be punished or no. Punishing him would be equivalent to punishing yourself as you will be equally pained in the process. You hope and pray that he realises that he is wrong. But, he is just too blind.
You are left with two choices. Either you give up or you fight. You go through a dilemma. There are several questions and answers raised within. Some which you don't have an answer to, some which you don't wish to find an answer to.
In such a situation, what does one do.

Note: This post cannot be understood without the context. The context is just too personal to be revealed.

Manjiri

Birthday binge

For me, birthday is the day meant to enjoy. It is the time to celebrate new beginnings and to cherish the good old memories. But, yes, not to forget, it is also the time to introspect. It is the time to evaluate which are the changes that came about in the personality in one year, what needs to stay and what should be done away with. To sum it up, birthday is a time to seek gifts from the experiences one has had in the year gone by.
If I look at my year gone by, I realise that in the last one year, I have grown. And seriously, it has been a wonderful year. I experienced a time which most of us dread in our professional life. There were twists and turns. I got to witness the changing faces of people with success and failure. I got to judge people's true nature. I got a better understanding of life. I got much more responsible. There was, of course, some inevitable dejection too. There were times, as all of us experience, when nothing was moving in the desired direction. But that is how life is. Something that happens to you, when you are busy planning something else.
Though, at that very moment, we hate the unpredictable turns. We crib, cringe and cry. In the end, we realise that all that happened was with a purpose. With the aim of making us wiser. Teaching us the best lessons of life in the best possible way. So, I am thankful to You, and to all those who have been good, bad or ugly to me. Because it is you who have made that one year of my life worthwhile. I may not be able to spell it out to you in person coz that is how I am. But, I genuinely mean it. So, a big THANK YOU. Don’t know whether I will be able to say this next year or no. So, saying it loud and clear.

Manjiri

Living without hatred

I went out with a school friend of mine recently, (actually on my birthday). Catching up with her after a long time made me feel terribly (I know it’s not the appropriate word. But that is how I felt) nice. The best part of being with her is that you can easily catch up exactly from where you had left it. And all this is wonderfully effortless. We discuss things in general and indulge in those girly conversations. (Mind you girly not bitchy. Something like who broke up with whom, who patched up with whom, who's seeing whom). We sat for almost close to two hours. And as it generally happens with close friends, our conversations went in all directions. Suddenly, she said about something she hated. As a matter of fact, I said, "Why can't I hate things?"
This has been the question which has stayed with me for quite some time now. Not that my life is picture perfect and everything happens just according to my wish. But, somehow, I can't bring myself to hating people. I may stop talking, stay away, stay aloof, but in the wildest of my dreams too, I can't hate someone or wish bad for someone. Why, I don't know?
I vaguely remember as a kid, I had read somewhere that hatred is always a losing proposition. And that had remained etched in my mind. May be that is the reason. Actually, I am unable to figure that out.

Manjiri