Monday, October 20, 2008

So....How much do you earn Beta (Me: when did you adopt me and who gave you the rights to ask so?)??

Hello Beta! what are you doing these days?? Working! thats nice...Where? Oh there...So whats your salary?? Oh..okay..

(me in thoughts) Okay the only reason she asked me was to compare me with her son s salary who was getting a bit lesser of the Gandhi-printed notes.I say Big deal!...


Well these days everyone has a yardstick they carry with them based on which they evaluate you and place in a category or a place in their mind. The yardstick being the % , marks, position , or salary their near and dear ones earn...The materialistic world... .Based on this they would place you above or below them. whew !Well agreeable when it comes to the corporate world to measure you based on what you are or hold..etc.


But one can expect this to be bound to that sphere of life...But unwantlingly this has creeped to my near and dear one s.


Aunts Uncles, neighbors and at times close one like granmas, sisis etc...will also not spare you of the measurement. Where are you working? Whats your salary ? and what about stay. In short they want to know how much money you are left with. Based on this you will be put in a category above / below their baselines based on your answers.



Whew! I know things wont change but this has got to my nerves and so I have started to take refuge in the realms of nature by treking ,travelling,etc.Its kind of the purest way to stay close to nature and away from materialism.




If you are a fresher out of college or a 10th or 12th pass out...BEWARE! those people outside all they are interested is in "How much did u get!"..or.."Whats your salary??"..And whatever peanut-equivalent amount or number you say...you are bound to be congratulated.Some would say its curiosity, and some would justify it as a way of caring.
In other words its going to be rationalized by the society no matter how out of the way it is of their own business.

All you need to stay at peace in such a situation is squash their curiosity either with honesty or resort to gandhigiri. Both of these I have not tried because these ideas popped in my mind just at the moment I was typing these ;). So shall update youll on its outcome the moment I implement it .:).Till then Happy living in fruitless materialism.

P.S: These were my musings when I had just joined my job.The scenario hasnyt changed much since then nor did I get a chance to implement it.:) So me still fighting the weirdness of being measured every now and then.Nevertheless I have become thick skinned now. ;)

3 comments:

AmrutaTheOptimist said...

hey ash, nice post. even ,i got similar experience.
well put up post( ...and thank god NO TYPOS... wow. ash , u r improving)

Now a days, one more addition is ther: beta, do u hav job ( "Still", would be correct and appropriate in now a days :D ) ? yes, quit funny, but one uncle asked me that... and i was dumb-stuck.. :P :P :P

(hope , u dont mind us asking package n all. :P )

Unknown said...

hmm..i kno...ppl actually get down to the allowances...and tax...so how much do u get in hand n stuff...

give me a break..!! y shud i tell u..
bt ya..d world is materialistic..cnt expect any better..nt in these times...

Unknown said...

he he .... i remember u telling me this:)....so u finally made ur feelings public;)