An Evening!

Goregaon (West) – Mumbai

Today had been for some shopping to Anupam Stationery and on my way back I used the Sky Walk for the first time.It was post 7:00pm peak office crowd ,getting off trains and the station area was looking jam packed from the top.So I decided to take the sky walk till the end (citi centre).It was quite clean not as bad as I thought and not much crowd.

There was a retired couple walking just ahead of me ,should be in their 60’s for sure.They were talking and enjoying the walk like any other youth would.We got off the sky walk and to my coincidence they were also heading in the same direction.There were traffic blocks, no autos ready to come as usual, cars barely moving on the MG road.The couple wasn’t bothered about any of these things happening around, they were very engrossed in their conversations and smiling away.To my notice we were faster than most vehicles stuck on the road.People inside the cars were yelling to make ways,abusing,some almost ready to pick up fights.We were still walking.The couple almost knew all the shop keepers on the road,exchanging smiles and greeting them.They took a turn into one of the gullies and got to their building.

Was just thinking people like us (taking my example here) have moved from place to place had a total nomadic lifestyle (in the 11 years of marriage) before I made some good friends in the area I would have had to move out.Could never really have an emotional attachment with any house I lived , so I cant even call it a home.My child was born in one house, took his first steps in another one and he started talking in another one.I feel all my memories are so scattered.Earlier this happened with army people or people with transferable jobs.Now what I see is most people change their jobs in avg of 3-4 years move places.Its become part of routine.Complete rat race.

The earlier generation had a better lifestyle compared to us, decent working hours which helped them to know the people around,they had lots to talk,lesser money, not much credit facilities which helped them plan a better living with what they had.They found happiness in small things.When this old couple was walking on the road having their peppy conversations on the other side inside the cars I could see frustrations on faces ,though they had their wife and kids along,instead of talking to each other and waiting for the traffic to clear which was anyways going to take its sweet time they were busy yelling, removing frustrations on their kids – The mentality would be we can go home and also talk, is this a place and right time to talk in the middle of the traffic.

Why has our generation become so time bound, cant we live every moment? Why do we have a mechanical life style? Wonder how many of us go for walks with their spouses.Unless pre planned it would never happen, a small thing like taking a walk also can’t happen instantly. I remember my father spending time with me daily when I was in school, but today I can’t see it happen with my child.Fathers have become weekend fathers.Wonder how cool is that?

Today our life style is like this ,wonder how it would be at 60, would we actually see 60?

In our 30’s we don’t have much to talk, we end up calling people to party or vice versa so that we don’t have to actually think what to talk with each other.By 60 what would we do?