It is an amazing wonder to see how fast the wheels of life turn around, years after years and generations after generations…Many of us who are in fifty plus of age would readily agree that not long ago we were little children playing games and not much later, sitting in college, learning, playing and questioning everything around us. Decades roll around and suddenly we find that, we are at the fag end of our careers, our children are grown up and stand on their own, years roll on , we become grand parents and old men. As children and young men and women, we have our own ambitions and dreams. A few turn to be the achievers and a vast majority of us end up as lesser mortals, euphemistically known as the “common man” and end up submerged in daily office routine and family chores. The only pleasure appears to be the endless banter in coffee shops (now replaced by the ever addictive mobile phone) during the evenings with old friends and colleagues.
Recently, one of my classmates who had the dream of touching the stars, called me to say that after three decades of endless career hops, finally he had become what he always wanted to be, the CEO of a fairly big company in the country. It was about 9.30 p.m. when the call came, by which time he was enjoying his brief solitude after dinner. There was this man with a great sense of pride and satisfaction having achieved his childhood vision. I congratulated him for achieving his vision and asked him what happens now that he has achieved his dream ? What next ?…There was a long spell of silence at the other end and finally came the crisp remark “look forward to a happy retired life….”.
However, I could feel that I had rekindled some dying embers deep in his mind and his eyes twisting like that of a vision quester piercing into the unknown to see whether he has missed anything at all in his ambition to achieve his career. Whatever be the turns and thrills of life, we have all experienced some level of uncertainty at some point of time or the other ( the same uncertainty principle that haunts quantum physics). Despite our academic , career and family achievements or failures, we always wonder what life has to offer and what it has in its store as each screen is unfolded like that of a kaleidoscope over years.