I am an employee at a million dollar firm. Well it could well be a little more than that, but that is inconsequential. And I am what is referred to as a deputed employee. It basically means that I am co-located with the client. People in my organization or any other would give a limb in my situation. Money is good and life is good; or is it?
The natural question is why. Money being good, life should follow right? I wish it was so cut and dried. As a kid I came to realize that man needs money to live a decent life and that was pretty much it. But when I started working and saw people around me work, it seemed that the purpose of a man's life to make money. Work is worship, a high concept when I was growing up, was taken a little too seriously and the attention to detail was mental. Competition was the word of the day, everyday.
Hence, the journey started. I was fully committed to the rat race and I was a winner. Progress was in leaps and bounds; the plan seemed to be working just fine. But whose plan was it and was it a plan at all? Another classic case of monkey see monkey do, could it be? Whatever it was, it was strangely satisfying.
Three and a half years and the elation is now all gone. I work more than when I started, the standard of life good, even if barely so, but the quality of life is questionable. When a man sleeps, he should be allowed to sleep in peace. He should not have to sleep with his phone, always alert that his assistance might be required. He should not be made to feel that he has to save the world when it is not his job. Every issue should not be treated as a life threatening situation when in fact no life depends on it. What can be done another day, should be done another day, if time permits. He should be given enough time, enough space to spend time doing things he likes outside work. He should be allowed to breathe free and live a life with the people he loves. He should be allowed to go easy on the gas pedal once in a while.
It is a sorry state of affairs but unfortunately no one wants to do anything about it. The most anyone does is to sympathize with the situation and say, "Tough luck. Soldier on." People have given up, the system has given up. Welfare of the people is not something that takes precedence over anything.
So why do write this piece? Because I cannot do much myself. And yes, this is it!
The natural question is why. Money being good, life should follow right? I wish it was so cut and dried. As a kid I came to realize that man needs money to live a decent life and that was pretty much it. But when I started working and saw people around me work, it seemed that the purpose of a man's life to make money. Work is worship, a high concept when I was growing up, was taken a little too seriously and the attention to detail was mental. Competition was the word of the day, everyday.
Hence, the journey started. I was fully committed to the rat race and I was a winner. Progress was in leaps and bounds; the plan seemed to be working just fine. But whose plan was it and was it a plan at all? Another classic case of monkey see monkey do, could it be? Whatever it was, it was strangely satisfying.
Three and a half years and the elation is now all gone. I work more than when I started, the standard of life good, even if barely so, but the quality of life is questionable. When a man sleeps, he should be allowed to sleep in peace. He should not have to sleep with his phone, always alert that his assistance might be required. He should not be made to feel that he has to save the world when it is not his job. Every issue should not be treated as a life threatening situation when in fact no life depends on it. What can be done another day, should be done another day, if time permits. He should be given enough time, enough space to spend time doing things he likes outside work. He should be allowed to breathe free and live a life with the people he loves. He should be allowed to go easy on the gas pedal once in a while.
It is a sorry state of affairs but unfortunately no one wants to do anything about it. The most anyone does is to sympathize with the situation and say, "Tough luck. Soldier on." People have given up, the system has given up. Welfare of the people is not something that takes precedence over anything.
So why do write this piece? Because I cannot do much myself. And yes, this is it!
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