Last day...or is it? : Blog # 207

 Last day...or is it?

And the farewell is over. I can’t believe school has come to an end. Twelve long years! This place is home to me now, if not more. The corridors are as familiar to me as the by lanes I have grown up in. Am I excited to go to college? Of course I am. But will it be as fond a memory as school days? Will I make as good friends? Will the teachers care as much?

Graduation day! Time does fly. It seems like yesterday when I came with dad to buy the application form. I will be eternally grateful to this place for giving me treasured friends and such dear professors. It was real fun. Don’t know if I will miss the canteen more or the courtyard. And how I will miss the hostel days! It will be hard to sleep without hearing all the howling and shouting.

And the day has finally come where I move from a state of zero accountability to complete accountability. What bothers me is that all of it is directed towards one person ;)  Being a bachelor was bliss. But yes, it is great to have someone to go home to. Bachelor party is such a paradox for the word, party! One doesn't know if one should be happy or sad!

And today, I lost my childhood. All my grandparents have embarked on the journey towards eternity. Is it a coincidence that my daughter decided to step in to our world the same day? Is my wife right when she says it is an indication of the fact that it is time I gift a memorable childhood to someone else? Is it that my Grandmother decided to leave a part of her spirit with me?

I had always longed for retirement. Never did I think the last day in office will be so moving. The fact that I will wake up to a stress less morning has a sense of lasting serenity about it. But having lived for so long chasing deadlines and pushing mails, will I be able to enjoy the serenity?

You just know when it is time to leave. Having sailed through many a last day in this lifetime, there is a reassurance of sorts that it is just a prelude to another beginning. But today has a sense of fatality to it or so they say. Should I believe them? If I do, won’t that  mean I haven’t learned anything at all from all the last days I have been through? 

Keywords : Life, Last day, Live, Enjoy Life,Last days of Life,Sunset years, Short story 

A memoir of memories : Blog # 206

A memoir of memories

What is your earliest memory of yourself? Most of us will take a while to recollect it. If I had asked, what is your earliest memory of your family or friends, you would have recollected it faster. But when it is regarding oneself, it takes us some time. Here begins the idiosyncrasies of our memory. My earliest memory is something about first day at school and me crying my lungs out tugging at my mother’s saree.

Another strange thing about memory is that we tend to forget memories of bad instances in life faster. May be that is the way of our mind’s coping with harsh realities. Try doing this. Think about a time in your life when you were really disturbed/hurt about something. Now when you look back, you will be able to remember the situation. But you will not be able to remember the intensity of that negative feeling and thank God for that!

Don’t you think it is important that we take an effort to create memories? For instance, with people close to us? Those memories will help us tide through the crests and troughs in relationships. Many a time, the reason why we are forgiven or we forgive others is because of the fond memories that we have of each other. I think the same applies to oneself. People with a bunch of happy memories will be better equipped to sail through a rough patch in life. May be that is why it is important that everyone deserves a happy childhood. Childhood is a happy excuse for all the quagmires that life throws at us later on, don’t you think?

There is yet another important twist to the conundrum that is memory. If you look at it, most of today’s conflicts in the world are based on an incident or some incidents that occurred in the past, which is a memory. This means that some of the people who are fighting today are doing so solely based on a handed down memory. So if you as a person strive to avoid conflict today, you are creating a pleasant tomorrow. To contribute to world peace, all you need to do is create some pleasant memories for the people around you.

If you are able to become a happy memory for at least a handful of people, you would have lived a life worthwhile.

Keywords: Memory,Happy memory,Life,Experience,Remember

When to Leave your job? : Blog # 205

 When to Leave your job?

        I wonder if appraisal meetings became a charade recently or if it has always been the case. Quite often, the outcome is pre-decided. It is just a matter of convincing the reportee that he/she should agree to a rating or salary lesser than what they deserve. Managers adopt different methods to achieve this. One common attempt is to show the employee’s performance in poor light. If you as a reportee are convinced that you have put in the best efforts, then the manager will not be successful in this attempt. Another approach is to undermine the importance of money. I, for one have never bought this argument. One tangible factor about work is the money you get and it should matter! But I do not blame the managers. It has more to do with the organization.

            How much should one get attached to the organization that you work for? Many a time, we get too close for comfort to the firm we work for. There are a group of people who are ruthlessly detached too. So which is the right way or is there a middle path to this too?

            Consider this situation. You give your best to your work, many a time at the cost of your personal life. You expect a reward in return. It can be a hike in salary, a promotion or both. During the discussion, you find out that due to various ‘economic & business’ considerations, the firm ( not your manager, but the firm) is not in a position to reward you. In such a situation, what do you do? I would say it is time you returned your ID card and start looking for a new one.

            We must understand that a firm is a heartless entity. The decisions made are only with the intent of furthering its growth which is measured in terms of monetary aspects. There might be exceptions, but far and few. This is the reason why you can have a good relationship with your manager but not with the firm that you work for.

            One should always bear in mind this aspect. A promotion or a salary hike for an employee doesn't have much impact on the organization. But it does have a serious impact on the individual’s career. One should be astute enough to realize the point in time when the relationship stops being symbiotic. Once you reach that point, go ahead and change your status from ‘single’ to ‘looking out’ on LinkedIn!

Keywords : Work, Performance appraisal, Funny, Work Life balance, Job, Career