means, Are we all equal? In almost all my writings until today, I've said this a thousand times: we're all the same. But today, I'm asking a slightly different question, Are we all equal?
Equality in terms of genetics, in terms of value systems, in terms of looks, lifestyle, finances, our background, the geographical location we were born in, Cities we moved, friend circles we had and on and on and on!!!!!!!!
The answer is obviously, No!!!
Not only in India, but the whole world thrives on diversity at its peak.
I have always been an extrovert and throughout my life I've met lot many people and unlike someone more sensible, I'm like the uncle your father met in the train who wanted to know everything about your family, In short, when I'm in the mood(mostly on vacations), I'm the curious cat!!
I read somewhere that when you tell somebody about yourself or share an incident about your life, a piece of their soul remains with you and no matter how far you go from each other, your souls are somehow intertwined for the rest of your lives.
So, I (and I'm sure most of us) have been lucky enough to come across a-lot of people in our lives and their souls, stories and experiences are interwoven somewhere in our thoughts and listening to their stories we must feel how different their experiences might have been from us. The world that we've seen doesn't look the same to all of us.
If you think that's a really serious conversation going on, then Pyare (My dear) Millennials, let me quote Zakir Bhai,
"Bhai aya hai, bta k jayega!!"
translates to let me break it for you!
Can you recall the modernised look you saw on your teacher in childhood the hairstyle she had, the type of beautiful clothes she usually wore and you compared her with your mother of almost same age and the tired look she has on her face almost always.
Do you remember, the Beautiful car your friend was able to buy in the very first year of his job having the same salary as yours because he didn't have to pay rent and contribute to his family.
Can you recall, how your cousin who lives in a village in a hilly area told you about he used to walk 30 minutes uphill to even go to school while you commute on a two-wheeler to the park for morning walk living in a city throughout your life.
Can you remember a friend, who has never seen a McDonald's until later in his life because his family never allowed junk throughout the childhood.
Can you recall some colleague who told you She never knew how it feels to be picked up or dropped off from school/college or office because She didn't have a father or a brother to do so throughout her life.(which is so normal in any small town in India.)
Can you recall some friend of yours who told you hesitantly that he/she has never travelled alone in a bus or taxi because they were never allowed to do so and you did it when you were in 4th standard.
Can you recall some friend of yours who asked you privately, have you ever seen a dead body?, I've never and you start shivering because you saw your loved one go, when you were 10.
Question is still there, Kya, hum sab barabar hai?
Answer: NO, for the 1000th time.
Question: But what impact it has on our present lives?
Answer: A hell lot of impact.
It makes us who we're and it may impact who we become in future and it make impact the human being we may create in the future(If any). However, it also MAY NOT.
One of my cousins narrated an incident to me when she advised someone,
"k 30 tak jo v hunda ode ch asi kuch nhi kar skde oh sade nal hunda, kyunki asi bahut chote hune aa, par is to baad jo v life ch karna oh tu aap karna, tu decide krna teri life kidhar jaani hai hun!!"
Translates to "Before 30, whatever happened to you was beyond your control as you were just a kid, but after 30 you're very well capable of making your own destiny, you'll have to decide where do you want your life to go?!
This line has been a part of my thought process since that very day and that is why I chose it to be a part of 30 Revolutions Around the Sun.
We all have been built from many different experiences, backgrounds and childhoods but now we are these 30 year olds who feel the same feelings almost everyday and we'll take ourselves through this beautiful journey called life and will create experiences for people around us and people who may come from us in future. Can we try to make it a pleasent place for others? Can we see our younger selves in the people around us and try to make their day by a little gestures that we would have been astonished if someone did it for us at that time?
Let's talk about it some other day!!
P.S. The picture is from Kashi, 2023. I went there with my 58 year old mother and we met a woman of almost same age as that of my mother, who came all the way from Mauritius and while talking to her, I got to know how she solo travels to India almost every year and how fond she is of her travels despite having 3 adult children back there & it made me wonder, Kya, hum sab barabar hai?
If you don't like reading, I'm narrating :
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