Childhood! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I miss the spring of life. Yes, I miss being a child. I miss those carefree days, more so now when I’m back after spending a few yet wonderful days at my mother’s home. I don’t know about you but if given a chance I wouldn’t hesitate being that school girl again who at the end of each day couldn’t wait to get back home. Or be that boring girl in college for a second time around bunking classes, not to watch movies with friends, but to go home!
I miss home! I miss home! I miss my mother’s home!
Is this what life is like in the real world? A few days with the people you love and then back to the sickening rigmarole of our routine existence- is this really what we live for? I don’t deny that working is necessary. But the cost of staying away and missing those precious moments with family, isn’t that scary?
And that’s not all; the lack of time is a chronic disease we all seem to be suffering from. I don’t even have the time to take a few days off with my husband. A romantic escape before my hair turns a few shades of grey seems like a distant dream; too far-fetched to ever be realized.
I don’t know about you but just the thought of spending only 5 to 10 odd days at a stretch with my loved ones as against toiling hard for over 250 odd days , even if in a state of the art office, makes me experience a sense of despair that words can hardly describe.
When I speak to my mother over the phone and she tells me she’s down with fever I feel helpless. There was a time when even if I had the slightest of temperature she would be by my side. And today when it’s my turn to reciprocate, I have to request for leaves from total strangers or have to even, as sick as it sounds, determine which illness actually requires me to be there. I know for a fact that even today if I need her she’d catch the first flight available to be with me. But I feel stuck; almost bound!
Growing up is no fun at all!
Where I work I get just 20 leaves a year. With no luxury to fall sick for fear of missing out on a few days at home or just a few days away from this tedious life with my husband; at times life feels like a miscarriage.
When I see my colleagues in other parts of the world taking leaves for 6 to 8 weeks at a stretch and that too atleast twice a year, I realize there is something seriously wrong in our country. I envy them and realize how terrible our work culture is. Holidays are not considered necessary; at least not by the one’s running most of these big companies. Working Late is acceptable and taking leaves a crime. Where I work even holidays for festivals are compensated with working Saturdays. There is no value for labor is what I feel; and it could be of any kind. We like to enslave and be enslaved! And sadly there is not much we can do about it for as contemptible as it sounds, the truth is earning money gives us the only power we apparently have; even if temporal. Perhaps it’s a sad but necessary tradeoff between spending quality time with family and offering them quality life? I can’t say! What do you think?
You said it girl! I feel the same way. Every time I think about the time I am giving with my family, friends and even myself, I get dejected. But finding a good job is tough and so we are exploited. I do realize that job is just a means to earning my livelihood and not my life, and hence, I DO NOT do overtime. No matter what. However, it took me a long time to set my priorities straight 🙂
Oh dear, that's a common grouse! Work culture here sucks, you said it! There is so much I could say about work culture that it would take about 15 pages, so I'll refrain! But yes, I so agree with what you say. And yes, nostalgia always makes me emotional. The time constraint thing, I believe, is because there is so much we want to do and we do not want to compromise. We wan't to do everything. And we feel time running out. We try to multitask but then we also end up missing on a lot of fun. Read today's speaking tree in the Times of India. Talks about the exact same thing. Back when we were children, I guess we weren't so worried about trying to accomplish every single thing! We had simple desires, we probably didn't even know what 'compromise' meant! 🙂
Most of us are caught in a loop. It is a conscious choice that we make – we are slaving ourselves to create a monetary cushion to help us in the future. It is tough that we have to be away from our loved ones and we cannot rush to their aid and support in case of an emergency; but then again it is a choice that we make! Our lives have become complicated with the IT revolution – a generation back – job choices would be limited – bank, doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc,,,
Today it is a competitive world wherein someone else is there to replace us in the monotonous assembly-line work that we do. Professionally we are all expendables – who can be replaced by someone younger and who demands a lesser CTC!!!!
This is the bitter truth 🙁 !
Well – you know what I think Naba 🙂 I quit 🙂
So true!! Growing up is not a cake walk and it certainly isnt joyous. And seriously, watching people abroad spend months for vacation makes me question my life.
True Pankti… I don't do over time too but I just never have leaves 🙁 nor the time to be home!
I guess you are right Deepa… We can't have it all …ahh feels bad to admit it as well …
True..how sad isn't it 🙁
I wish I can do that some day 🙁
Yes it does, doesn't it?
I think 'face time' was invented in Indian offices way before Apple got to it, wherein showing your face in office till late and sending out emails late into the night is considered "efficient".
Yes…how pathetic, isn't it?
I am at home the whole day now, but away from my parents. When I was with them, I was busy with my career. Thinking of it now, I know I could have managed more personal time if I wanted to. 🙁
We sail in the same boat Naba,, I returned after a visit to my mom two weeks back and I share the same feeling. I feel like I am torn between my old family and new. I so want to spend time with them, be with them, but it has become a distant dream or an annual formality of somekind. And regarding work life. I take biaunnual holidays of two weeks every year and people think I am enjoying my life on the expense of my work. Which is not true, but just because they dont take vaccations themselves, they find two weeks holiday as a luxury rather than a necessity. Who cares? Stop worrying so much about work and people, You dont have a lifetime to enjoy these wonderful days,,just enjoy!!