"Wish I were born in the current generation"

"Wish I were born in the current generation", sighed Sanjay Mama, while he was watching a bunch of teenagers funneling around. His expression depicted a sense of jealousy. Now exactly which behavior prompted him to remark in such a manner is not exactly known to me but it would be wrong to shove off that comment without giving its due importance. The impact of the y-generation's behavior over the x-generation's behavior is surprising when the fact is that all our lives we have heard lines like, "In our times, we were much better than the current generation."

Yes the current age is full of opportunities and glad that we are able to pluck the fruits of better lifestyle as far as living standard is concerned. But what about the freedom to lead a social life of one's own choice. It is the current generation and the next generation that are going to cherish the freedom. Remember when we used to hear from our older generation how hard it was for them to pass a message of love to a girl/boy they liked. Rather remember how tough it used to be to ask for a girl's number when we were in our teenage. It would sound funny almost hysterical today if getting a girl's number is considered to be a stepping stone. The current generation has grown up to remove all such redundancies. They are bold and direct. It seems like wastage of time to wait to express one's feelings. And the feelings are fresh as much as prone to the side-effects of a relationship. In other words there is an unstated commitment but still there is no commitment.

In the last 6 months I have interacted with a lot of teenagers (and those who are in early 20s) and observed their behavior. In a gap of just 5-6 years I see a remarkable difference in the thinking pattern. The heart-breaks have become more common as almost everyone had 2 exes on an average. And if they are not in a relationship it is always interesting to follow their Whatsapp DPs or facebook shares because its foolish to keep your feelings within. Damn those cheesy lines they pick up as their statuses which are more revealing than hiding. Damn those emotional quotes that make you feeling like stabbing your own heart.  But it's not a part of a drama but it is the drama itself. You are a loser if you hold back your feelings and a left out if you are not a part of that drama.

So what exactly led to this current generation the way it is. Clearly the two factors that come to the top of mind are:

• Ease of use of technology and social connectivity
• Remarks like 'Wish I were from this generation' which indirectly indicates a sense of approval and freedom to the way it is,

Now it leaves me wondering whats gonna be the teenager of the next generation be like. Whatever it may be, I'd say it will be for the good. Yes there were things better in the times of our older generation too but looking at the bigger picture I think, 'let it be'.

East is Best #MadeofGreat

Never did I imagine that the phrase 'Behta Pani Nirmala' would struck my reality so soon. The college had just ended and it was like a cue to the expeditions that were about to foster in the near future. It was pretty clear by then that exploring is something that makes me feel complete. Some may call it destiny that I joined a profession that involves extensive travelling but I feel it all comes from wishful desires. And the ultimate goal is to be recognized as the globe trotter in my social circle. 

It is by virtue of this profession that I lived and experienced the soul of so many cities. Needless to say that every city offered me a very unique experience of its own. The experiences were so unique that it was often difficult to find the common cultural thread that we, the countrymen, perceive in general.

But if you ask me about my favorite city, it is my own city- Kolkata.Yes, Kolkata is my favourite city. I can offer countless reasons. But this is a war and so let me stick to the format.

Drive
The best thing about the city in my opinion is the ease with which one can commute to the corners of the city. There is not a single mode of public transport that is possible but does not exists in the city. The city has been blessed by metro-rails, local trains, yellow taxis, autos, private buses, government buses, steamers, boats, cycle-rickshaws, hand rickshaws, tuk-tuks and what not. And I am not talking about their mere presence. Their reach is just overwhelming.

If we take drive in poetic sense, then also there is no limit to it. The most famous scholars from our country find their roots in this city. People excel in almost all the fields and the drive to excel just keeps pushing the city to achieve the impossible. And as beautifully summed up by Tata Motors (at http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/), "What drives us from within is what makes us great".

Design
Well, the city may not look like London anymore but we cannot ignore the fact that it was built as the twin city to London. The old part of the city still flaunts the beautiful architecture of pre-independence era. The boulevards in and around Esplanade speak volume of the beauty and love with which the city was built. Along the banks of the river Hooghly, it is easy to find romanticism.

If there is old architecture to embrace, there is a planned portion of the city as well- the Salt Lake and the New Town. In short the city has something to offer to multitude age groups- from youngsters to the veterans.

Connect
Ah! What to say about connect of the city. The city is metropolitan in true sense. You will find communities from across the country living harmoniously since ever. The local language is never enforced on anyone. People prefers to interact in a language which the other person is comfortable with. And this is perhaps the reason why the non-bengalis learn the local language out of love rather than a necessity.

The city is global in true sense. There is not a single sport which is not followed in the city. Ranging from Soccer to F1 to Kabaddi, this city embraces all kind of sport. People listen to a very broad range of music than just humming Honey Singh's compositions. Fashion sense is global too.

Way to real togetherness

There are times when nothing goes our way. There are times when good thing happens when they are least expected. Life is undoubtedly a sinusoidal wave if we express it mathematically which we follow blindly from crest to trough like a child. Our worse reactions transpire when we are at the extremes. And to express our extremes we today have something which was non-existent a few years back- the virtual media. Funny but there is an extremity to the extreme virtual reaction as well- deactivating our social accounts. Now, the social media platforms has surely brought us closer (at least virtually) but where have we lost our touch to express the real reactions in the real world. The question whether we are more vulnerable to lifeless life looms large. Last weekend I went along with few of my colleagues for dinner outing. We could see a family next to our table- parents and two kids- all immersed in their smartphones. And our instant reaction was "What's the point of family dinner if they are not interacting with each other, if they are not having fun?"

The definition of togetherness has changed in today's life. You think you have done your duty if you make birthday wishes on Facebook. You feel you are in touch with your friends if you are in that Whatsapp group which is inactive most of the times. I am sorry but the virtual reality is going to hit us hard sooner or later. 

Recently I came across a video that was about discovering real togetherness. I am embedding the video in this post itself. A must watch video. I must say the video took me back to my childhood. Fortunately I grew up during a time when there was no Orkut or Facebook. 

This is in fact the right time to break the shackles of the digital world. I remember when I was adamant about not installing Whatsapp but had to install it under the pressure of my friends. But no more. The time is to get down to the roots and connect in person by sharing real emotions in the real world. 

Real togetherness to me is

• bag packing to a random trip with the best of your buddies leaving back your smartphones
• going for a cricket match in the early morning
• eating out and interacting
• asking out a girl in real and not sending random friendship requests on Facebook
• taking up a real social cause with like minded people and doing something good on ground

The list is endless. But the common string to all the items of the list is nature. Without stepping out of your home, it's impossible to experience real togetherness. The world will become a 'wall-e world' if we lose our connection with nature. Remember how everyone became a couch potato because there was too much virtual convenience. Exactly. So go out. Expedite. That's the only way towards real togetherness.

For inspiration just watch the video above once more or follow the link http://www.kissanpur.com/.