The way Up

The youth of today’s time is fearless, one quality that I would like to imbibe at work and life. They are more focused and inquisitive to anything that is their business and otherwise. Lately, an encounter with a fresher at work taught me few lessons in life.
She is young and has beauty on her side. Most important, she knows it and makes no qualm about making both the attributes work to her advantage. Whenever required she flaunts her beauty to clean bowl the audience (mostly men). Whenever in doubt she doesn’t shy away from asking questions, be it professional or personal.
The first time we met, she asked me about my age. I wasn’t shy to give her the exact number and before I could position myself to answer her next. She fired, “So why ain’t you married yet?” I was speechless as I wasn’t prepared to open my chapter of life infront of a complete stranger. She didn’t rest and took my silence for a conclusion of her very own. She confidently replied, “Is it that you didn’t find a man willing enough to marry and risk his life with you?”
Now, this was the moment for me. I am known to be quite a sucker for work-standards and I go to all length to ensure it. I never knew that my be-perfect-till-die spirits at work would render me redundant in the marriage market. That I’m tough isn’t a fact I ain’t aware of, but nobody until now has muster up the courage to declare it so openly to me.
Rather being annoyed at her, I started admiring her. How else could you explain the guts of an inexperienced, fresher passing a strong remark to her senior, so openly? Gal, you’ve the balls!
This generation is something so different from mine. They have no fear for authority and absolutely no remorse for being outspokenly, brutal. They don’t have the fear of being fired, no pressure of being appreciated or no issues at being rejected.
The conversation didn’t end there. She was like an open book for me to study. She confessed her last affair which boomed because of lack of family approval. And it didn’t stop there, she showed me her ex’s photograph, a guy loaded with looks and money. Yet, it didn’t stop her from dumping him because their priorities didn’t match. She knows herself much better than I could gather knowledge about myself even after spending thirty five years of being here.
She openly declared that she isn’t the type to lie low and take care of the house. She isn’t the one to cook for anybody because it is such a waste of talent. “If he wants a wife to cook why can’t he marry a maid?” she challenged. All I could respond was a contemplative “hmm”.
Wish I was so sorted and wouldn’t have made so many mistakes. Wish I could start all over this coming year, re-wind my life-span and start young.
May the coming year bless me with more knowledge to understand the mantra of a life ‘well-lived”!


Pic Courtesy: Google Images