Connect the dots and plunnge ....

Recent trends show a rise in books where normal people choose to do out of normal things and are praised for their efforts. Books like 'Connect the dots' and 'The Plunnge' have thronged the markets and are quite popular. I have read the first book and did not particularly feel like picking up the second. Perhaps due to personal prejudices. Anyway, both the books follow the same patterns.

After reading the first book, it got me thinking. I too am not in an over interesting field. I would have loved to do something different. But should I? Could I? I guess not. Dont judge me yet. I have x lakhs of education loan. Can I take up photography as my career now? Who will sponsor expensive lens? Who will take care of my extensive traveling? Or say, I want to become a singer now. Should I spend my time and energy and money on classes and trainings now? I cannot fathom to find answers to these.

These people who quit their mundane work to pursue 'interesting' careers should have had some support. Either a rich inheritance. Or a huge bank savings in their names or a working partner who can take care of a few missing months of 'salary'. Or they would have struggled for years to get where they are now. I salute to that effort. Also, try to imagine if our parents had 'taken the plunge'? Where would we be? After their college, if they had chose to pursue, say journalism. Would we be how we are? These are some of the questions that I cannot find answers to.

I appreciate the authors' efforts to bring out the out-of-ordinary human beings and their brave outlook towards life. But I hope they also try to write about people who stuck to their mundane jobs and made others lives better. I would love to read about such selfless people. 

PS: No offense to any of the authors or to those who chose to change their careers. This is just my view point.

Dont shout back at me pls!! :P

There were a few articles on the net floating around some days back. Single girl/guy lamenting about her/his parents' infuriating attempts to marry them off. That is arranged marriage. Why does this term sends shivers down the spine. There were sayings like 'all through my life, my parents ask me not to talk to a stranger but now they are asking me to marry one', 'why should I dress up like a model and pose for another family?' etc..

Well, the way I see it is this. First off all, the people who forwarded these articles/blogs were either single guys and girls or people who have boy friends and girl friends but their parents haven't approved of them or those who have burnt their fingers in bad relationships. Now that all of them are past their mid-twenties, their parents are quite keen to see their children 'settled'. There might be different meanings to this word. I am not going to argue about it. But from the parents point of view, marriage is an important step and has to be done at an appropriate age.

Nowadays, most of the parents aren't that strict about this issue. They are quite okay if you bring home a guy or a girl who is decent enough and has good manners and behavior. But if you show them someone who looks like a Metallica-wannabe, obviously they get scared. And thats when all the drama about arranged marriage starts. Or the case might be that you, in your younger days would have done something which makes your parents not trust you. Is that their fault? Or, the third reason can be that the parents are inherently against love marriages, in which case, nothing can be done. Tough luck.

By telling this, I have nothing against (or for) any type of marriage. Its just that, try to find a way to keep you and everyone around you happy. Its not too difficult.