THE FORGOTTEN ART OF CALLING ON
By Col Neil John, SM
By Col Neil John, SM
Sitting at home on leave got me thinking about how many a time in our lives we just come to a point where you feel saturated ... devoid of ideas ... and in the process lethargic ... the resistance to change here becomes distinct to a point that our psyche breeds negativity and a thought process which is definitely not progressive .... it's easy to point out the reason for this feeling ... too much time in solitude and monotony ... especially in professions and appointments that need you to be constantly on the move.
we have been posted to this beautiful small town called Mhow ... complete in its layout with restaurants ... adequate sports facilities ... frill shopping ... beautiful weather and a mix of communities ... the best part about this town is there is always a lot to do ... you make friends and you make newer ones ... it's almost been two and half years since I have been posted here ... all my friends that I connected with have moved on ... no one of my seniority .... and in my rank I feel that I might be one of the oldest ... often you hear your girls saying ... papa yahan se kab niklenge... the wife seems rather keen that she stays here longer, cause this place has worked its magic on her ... but last night when boredom struck ... I told her let's go for coffee ... the first reaction was kahan? And then ... nahin ... it's too late ...
Col A must be sleeping ... he sleeps at 9.30 ... Col B must already be four pegs down ... so no point cause he would be listening to Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi and will bore us to death singing .. koi jab tumhara riday tod de... Col C his parents live with him so it's not good disturbing and he as it is hates socialising ... Col D he is a nice guy but his better half is only crying about how unwell her dog is and how she has to take him out in the cold to crap ... Col E is forever talking shop of how uneducated and unintelligent all around him are and how he sorted out whom in a war game .... and Col F is never at home cause he keeps away ... hello but that's what life is at this stage .... everyone has his trade mark character ...
Anyway all the good close folks we knew have moved out ... this profession when we were initially groomed allowed you the liberty to call on people anytime of the day or night ... you were always assured of good company and more so the warmth of the lady of the house with good coffee or anything that she could rake up depending on the time of the call on ... but somewhere down the line we have just lost the art of keeping company ... ultra modernisation and social media have ensured lesser interactions under the garb of ME time ... we have turned ourselves devoid of humour ... of laughing on matters strainful over a drink ...
we have stopped discussing ideas ... living up the entertaining events of the past and reminiscing on how much fun they were ... we have even given up the art of cribbing about our seniors and laughing and in the end patting each other's back and saying ... Saala kuch bhi bol ... Banda good chap hai ... we tend to live in cocoons and that too in a closed barricaded society ... we build taverns of discontent ... people would rather share their thoughts on fb and whatsapp rather than go visiting ... catch up on some good whiskey or brandy ... sing songs two swigs down at the top of their voices ... paloo lat ke... and laugh merrily ... creating memories ... burning down stresses ... the camaraderie was intoxicating more than the liquor ... but alas ... we have lost the art ... we choose our company on our requirements and biases... and we all know requirement based company seldom lasts a fortnight ... how many of us actually take pains to visit a officer or his wife when we don't know them as closely if admitted to a hospital or facing a trauma ... how many of us would stop in our walks and make small conversations ... how many of us have often heard our spouses say .. pl I am too tired I don't want to entertain people at home ... so pl keep your large heartedness aside .... we have evolved towards a selfish society ... too engrossed in contempt and the desire to see everything with complex lenses ... it is time that we are fighting against ... time that's always running out ...
RETIREMENT ... comes to all ... it's INEVITABLE ... sitting in that lonely home past your healthy age ... you will only miss this beautiful life ... this profession affords you the liberty of being warm with indulgence in friendship ...we need to rejuvenate ... THE CAMARADERIE ... so people you have a lot of catching up to do ... the warmth of a friendly hug and silly laughter is the elixir to staying young and happy ... so CALL ON and ensure the warmth stays alive ... the younger ones need to realise that life is not about NAUKRI in offices alone and pleasing only those that are rising ...the ones that fell out need us more ...
WE ARE A DISTINCT COMMUNITY ... and the isolation can only be beaten if we INTERACT and LEARN TO EMPATHISE .... the moral is ... CALL ON ... to catch up ... to iron out miscommunications ... to share ... to just de-stress and most of all TO KEEP THE SPIRITS OF THE OLIVE GREEN ALIVE .... a close knit community of postings and new friends ... only memories live forever ... GO OUT THERE AND CREATE THEM ....
Col Neil John, SM
we have been posted to this beautiful small town called Mhow ... complete in its layout with restaurants ... adequate sports facilities ... frill shopping ... beautiful weather and a mix of communities ... the best part about this town is there is always a lot to do ... you make friends and you make newer ones ... it's almost been two and half years since I have been posted here ... all my friends that I connected with have moved on ... no one of my seniority .... and in my rank I feel that I might be one of the oldest ... often you hear your girls saying ... papa yahan se kab niklenge... the wife seems rather keen that she stays here longer, cause this place has worked its magic on her ... but last night when boredom struck ... I told her let's go for coffee ... the first reaction was kahan? And then ... nahin ... it's too late ...
Col A must be sleeping ... he sleeps at 9.30 ... Col B must already be four pegs down ... so no point cause he would be listening to Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi and will bore us to death singing .. koi jab tumhara riday tod de... Col C his parents live with him so it's not good disturbing and he as it is hates socialising ... Col D he is a nice guy but his better half is only crying about how unwell her dog is and how she has to take him out in the cold to crap ... Col E is forever talking shop of how uneducated and unintelligent all around him are and how he sorted out whom in a war game .... and Col F is never at home cause he keeps away ... hello but that's what life is at this stage .... everyone has his trade mark character ...
Anyway all the good close folks we knew have moved out ... this profession when we were initially groomed allowed you the liberty to call on people anytime of the day or night ... you were always assured of good company and more so the warmth of the lady of the house with good coffee or anything that she could rake up depending on the time of the call on ... but somewhere down the line we have just lost the art of keeping company ... ultra modernisation and social media have ensured lesser interactions under the garb of ME time ... we have turned ourselves devoid of humour ... of laughing on matters strainful over a drink ...
we have stopped discussing ideas ... living up the entertaining events of the past and reminiscing on how much fun they were ... we have even given up the art of cribbing about our seniors and laughing and in the end patting each other's back and saying ... Saala kuch bhi bol ... Banda good chap hai ... we tend to live in cocoons and that too in a closed barricaded society ... we build taverns of discontent ... people would rather share their thoughts on fb and whatsapp rather than go visiting ... catch up on some good whiskey or brandy ... sing songs two swigs down at the top of their voices ... paloo lat ke... and laugh merrily ... creating memories ... burning down stresses ... the camaraderie was intoxicating more than the liquor ... but alas ... we have lost the art ... we choose our company on our requirements and biases... and we all know requirement based company seldom lasts a fortnight ... how many of us actually take pains to visit a officer or his wife when we don't know them as closely if admitted to a hospital or facing a trauma ... how many of us would stop in our walks and make small conversations ... how many of us have often heard our spouses say .. pl I am too tired I don't want to entertain people at home ... so pl keep your large heartedness aside .... we have evolved towards a selfish society ... too engrossed in contempt and the desire to see everything with complex lenses ... it is time that we are fighting against ... time that's always running out ...
RETIREMENT ... comes to all ... it's INEVITABLE ... sitting in that lonely home past your healthy age ... you will only miss this beautiful life ... this profession affords you the liberty of being warm with indulgence in friendship ...we need to rejuvenate ... THE CAMARADERIE ... so people you have a lot of catching up to do ... the warmth of a friendly hug and silly laughter is the elixir to staying young and happy ... so CALL ON and ensure the warmth stays alive ... the younger ones need to realise that life is not about NAUKRI in offices alone and pleasing only those that are rising ...the ones that fell out need us more ...
WE ARE A DISTINCT COMMUNITY ... and the isolation can only be beaten if we INTERACT and LEARN TO EMPATHISE .... the moral is ... CALL ON ... to catch up ... to iron out miscommunications ... to share ... to just de-stress and most of all TO KEEP THE SPIRITS OF THE OLIVE GREEN ALIVE .... a close knit community of postings and new friends ... only memories live forever ... GO OUT THERE AND CREATE THEM ....
Col Neil John, SM
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