Is solitude the refuge only for Geniuses?

Just watched ‘A Beautiful Mind’; a story about the life of John Nash and this got me wondering if it’s only the geniuses who don’t feel part of the regular world. Nothing against the genius but why is it that anyone who chooses to not be part of the regular is looked upon as either a snoot or a potential genius.

I have known a few who don’t go around doing the regular things like going out for dinners, hob-knobbing with the crowd, lighting the dance floor on fire or picking a conversation with people; it’s not like they think that people are not worth talking to but it’s just about not finding the same wavelength or not having the acumen to strike a topic that would be engaging enough for everyone to discuss.

Don’t people like these have the right to do their own thing without being titled one of the above?

Solitude can’t be just for the geniuses, being one is always a very good excuse but what about people with average IQ levels; do they also need an excuse?

People don’t have to be judged basis how many people they talk to; few appreciate their space and don’t need to have justifications or reasons for their behaviour. They are not out to cocoon themselves, they always welcome people who would want to exist in their world, but it’s just that this world doesn’t appeal to a very wide audience.

I come from the atmosphere of a Business School, where befriending as many people as possible is a surrogate for ‘networking’, this word has been bastardized by the all so many people who have made studies at B-school much more about networking than about learning. This attitude puts negative pressure on the students who don’t wish or are unable to have many friends but instead have only a few who they open-up to.

I hope while they may not be the most efficient networkers, they will turn out to be efficient managers because that’s what they are here for.

Slumdog Millionaire Crorepati or Lakhpati, I don care much ! ! !

What ever the nomenclature they use, we need to take a different view to the movie that’s been a surprise entry at all the major award functions this year.

I kept hearing about the movie for a long time, chose not to watch it till it got officially released and so you can blame the extra anticipation about the movie on that. When I saw the movie last Friday, I anything but agreed to the views of most people that it’s THE movie of the year!

Initially when I read about AB’s comments, I felt that he’s just being a spoil sport about the fact that an Indian could not make a movie like this, but after watching the movie even I feel bad. Call me a spoil sport too but am appalled by the way firangis come here show anything from the pedophiles’ escapades to the tortures lives of the Indian poor and showcase it as a masterpiece. The problem is not about running away from reality but instead to question the opportunism and selfish attitude.

Today we are seeing everyone from Anil K to Dev P to Frieda P up there on stage feeling very proud of what they have been part of but how many did even consider doing something about bettering the lives of the very characters they were playing?

Guess my voice like the voice of many others reached DannyB, before it could become a reason for the film’s non success in India that he has declared to donate a part of the earnings from the movie towards re-habilitating slumdogs, ain’t that what they call the kids from slums! I appreciate the initiative but just putting the money there will not be enough, one has to get their hands dirty as well. Hope Mr Danny B, gets some time after accepting all those awards to do a little bit of work here.

I want to meet ERASURE ! ! !

Remember the movie with Arnold, released about a decade back where our man is the designated identity changer. Yes, sounds like a very interesting thing to do, in fact I have been toying with it myself these days. Given a choice, I would like to consider having a new identity, it has nothing to do with how fulfilling or happy or for that matter sad my current identity is, but it’s a craving for new.

I have been working fulltime for over seven years now add part time experience would add up to about nine years and the one thing I have noticed is that I was never happy at a single place for too long. Be it an assignment that I was on or the job itself, moving on from one task to the other has always been my thing.

In the long run I have both suffered and gained from this habit. When a kid, I could never stick to a single extra curricular, so I moved from kick boxing, to badminton, to swimming to many more such things, thereby mastering none of the above, but at the same time, I have managed to experience so much more than the regular kids.

Today while at work, I’m not sure what I want to do. I have been in the communications business for over five years now, but am not sure if this is my calling because I have started getting bored of it. The only reason I have survived so long is because of two reasons, one cause I was good at my work so it was always exciting to come to work and the other thing is that advertising can give one the opportunity to work on different brands and hence different tasks, which drains the monotony of being in a single profession for so long.

So while I have spoken about my craving for new, I also need to talk about the other side. I’m extremely nostalgic; I miss what I used to do earlier, sometimes even consider restarting what I once left half way. Be it the easier things to start like getting back to swimming and kick boxing to the tougher things like studying.

I was never a good student in school and college now I seek an opportunity to give myself another shot at studying. I understand that it’s a risky proposition to give a person like me another chance at something I have so badly screwed up in the past, but the world would be far short of success if people did not get a second chance. Some made a come back because they were ousted the first time like Steve Jobs, and others had just left things half way and picked it up later to finish them in style.

I don’t mean to compare myself to the greats, but don’t shy away from picking where you have earlier left off. Be it relations or career opportunities. And guess what, if you really believe in it, you wont have to necessarily change your identity, you as yourself can give yourself another chance and make it big.

So, thanks but no-thanks Erasure! You helped me make a point and now I don’t need you no more.