Monday, February 24, 2014

Monday Musings 196 - The Types

Monday Musings 196 - The Types

"When you don’t know which shore you are going - no wind is good wind"

I asked a team of trainers, comrades in my profession the other day, "Why did you become trainers" and most answers were evasive at best and ambiguous at worst. I am sure it is not a crime to not know the 'why' of everything, at least not yet - but I guess the 'why' does serves as an antidote to much of what passes off as occupational hazards. I am sure this question applies to others too. 

There are all kind with respect to their position on this question (" Why do we want to become 'so and so '?). Let me try to profile them, a tad tongue in cheek though. 

The aware: These are those who have asked this question and have got the answer to their satisfaction. They know why they are doing what they are doing. They have found access to the deepest recesses of their mind and will often wax eloquent of their awareness and the resultant halo around their head, often visible only to them. The halo keeps their ego warm but burns others on contact. They are often pompous, presumptuous, and full of themselves and have great propensity for being pain in certain parts of human anatomy, a reference to which qualifies as unparliamentarily. 

The wannabees: These are those who ask themselves such questions but have not got the answer. They keep on asking these questions because it keeps the pretence of their intellectualism alive. Since the thinkers have asked the question and acquired the halo, how could they possibly be left behind? The best recourse to those who have not made the cut in the corporate world is to renounce their bid, publically, and pronounce that such a pursuit was infra dig. English language has an elementary phrase for such situation - 'Grapes are sour'. 

The Doubtful - This one is peculiar in his construct. He knows what is this question but finds asking it an utter waste of time. He is the 'practical' one, who takes to task anyone who even dares to engage him with something as esoteric and hence as wasteful as asking 'why'. He prefers asking questions like 'How' and ideally "for how much" - ideally the other way around. 

The Blissful - By far they have numerical majority, for they don’t know what is this hoopla about a darn question that should never have been asked in the first place. What they don’t know does not hurt them. Why ask a question that has the potential for disturbance, whose very nature is destructive and the very intent diabolic. Happiness is a matter of choice and if a little bit of ignorance helps, and then surely it is worth the effort.  
Go ahead and check which corner you stand!


Saturday, February 15, 2014

195 Monday Musings - Yet another slice of life

195 Monday Musings - Yet another slice of life

"Kamna Prasad Tripathy from Azamgarh sir" he replied, in accented English as I asked his name while entering the tariffed taxi service outside the Mumbai airport the other night. Apart from the usage of the queen’s language it was his confidence that announced that he was not an ordinary cab driver. In saying his name and the manner in which he said it and adding the trivia about his roots he was claiming his space inside the cab as an identity distinct and perhaps superior to what his vocation lent him. I knew I had to talk to him.

I asked him how long he was in Mumbai. He announced dramatically - and I capture this verbatim - “1969 was ending and 1970 was beginning - and in the space in between, I landed in Mumbai"
I asked him how has been his experience of working in Mumbai. He said “Mumbai offers a secular opportunity to everyone to earn a livelihood with dignity. As long as you are committed to your work, money will keep flowing. I fulfilled all my responsibilities as a brother, as a son and as a father doing odd work here"
Immediately he corrected himself and it was the correction that yet again announced that he was not an ordinary taxi driver. He said “Actually I became an instrument to fulfill my responsibilities". 

Over the next 30 minutes he sang Kabeer, Tulsidas and perhaps to connect with me better, Nanak, along with description and elucidation of meaning of what he was singing. 

Suddenly a call comes on his phone and he asks in the broken English that speaks, to the person on the other end " Sir if you can wait for 15 minutes...I can pick will reach your destination...and I will also earn some money...but of course no pressure from my side"...Just awesome example of influencing skills!! He cuts the phone and explains to me the merits of transparency in dealing with customers. 

A little ahead on the road, he tells how at 62, his family does not like him driving and working. But he is adamant - "While money is no longer as strong a driver anymore, but I do not like the prospect of not earning any money too....One must earn"

Then comes the power punch when he talks about the four aims of human life, Arth, Kama, Dharm and Moksh - "Why is Moksh number four and not number one - Only Gaad (God) knows!!...In any case these four pursuits are for the men-battalion....women battalion is exempt...they already do quite a lot you see...." 

Finally as I step out at my destination I say "It was nice talking to you" to which he serves an ace...”Your company made me talk goes to you". 

Mr. Kamna Prasad tripathy from Azamgarh - we need more like you, if not on the streets, then certainly in the parliament.