Seasons thoughts.

Happy Pongal to all! The celebration of prosperity traditionally associated with the harvest of crops. Proud to write that I am infact the grandson of a farmer who did his duty as Michelangelo painted, as Beethoven composed music or as Shakespeare wrote poetry. Increasing affluence has transformed the wonder years. We are going to concrete offices now trying to please people around and making our way. Clear that farming is a bygone profession. But I shall always look up to my Grandfather (of farming) just like I look upto Keith Richards of accounting or Jimi Hendrix of human resources. Yes, they all gave the performances of their lives.

Anyway, I don't know why we are still celebrating when there's no reason. We are the IT/BT products (with a shameful undertone). We are planting seeds and looking after them and some one else is eating the end product.

Anyway speaking business,

I trust the new friend I made recently,(actually, it took some time and effort to make her understand that I am not insane, I might be eccentric). My mother trusted Dr.Dibanath Chakraborthy of Manipal Hospital when he said he can operate me and save my life two years back when I had a devastating accident. I trusted Dr.Shridhar.N of Wochardt when he repaired my dad's heart. And I trust Madhu who prepares some wonderful Bhel Puri as soon as he sees me approaching towards him. He is so happy to serve me. And I trust so many people with whom I might have just broken bread once or had coffee once. Only to note that this is not the case with the world right now.

Welcome to the world shortage of trust!
Last week I read about a cab driver who was picked up as a suspect for raping a minor. Well, if it's proved, I will be the first to shoot him..but it's yet to be proved.He is still a suspect and the evidence against him is next to nothing. But even though he can get bail, no one, not even his friends or family, is ready to stand guarantee for him. He has no money to pay the bail. His wife has run away and promptly married someone else, saying she couldn’t live with a man suspected of such a heinous crime. His family has abandoned him out of fear of being ostracised by the neighbourhood. He can’t even return to his home as he fears he may be lynched. And the evidence against the man hasn’t even gone to court! But his life has been destroyed by the news of his arrest. He has been punished not because he’s been proved guilty of a crime but because we, as a society, suffer from a trust deficit. We are always ready to believe the worst of anyone.

When I was in Cuffe-Parade, Mumbai, to meet a friend who lives in the 22nd floor of the apartment, I was startled to see the security everywhere more than the folks living there! He said that no one is allowed inside without a Photo-Id. Yet, how long has he left his front door open?Never. Look at myself!..How often have I left my car unlocked and run out for an errand? Never. How often do I stop on the street and help someone in need? Not as often as I ought to. How often do I stop and feed a hungry stray dog? Not as often as I could. Why? I am programmed to fear it may bite me. How often do I help an accident victim? Rarely. Why? I worry about being drawn into a police case. How often do I give money to an urchin? Not as often as I’d like to. Why? I fear I may be encouraging begging. Behind every small act of ours is a deficit of trust.

It’s this new thing that makes us enjoy stories in the media about romances breaking up, friendships collapsing, marriages wrecking. We always turn around and say: I told you so! We are always warning friends, associates, colleagues, spouses, children to be wary. Never take candy from a stranger, is every mother’s first tip to her child. Never hire a great looking secretary, is every wife’s first threat to her husband. Think twice before you marry a great looking or successful girl, is every friend’s advice to another, she can always ditch you for someone else. In fact, the moment you ask someone for advice, on anything related to a relationship or a health issue or a property deal, be sure to be warned. Our first reaction to everything is: Watch out! We even sign off, saying Take Care.

Even the media is so enthused to show up stuffs which involves them.The more they show up trustless relationships, the less trustworthy our relationships become. It’s not only marriages that are breaking up. So are romances. So are families, homes, communities, states. Yadavs in UP don’t trust Dalits. Dalits in Bihar don’t trust Brahmins. Sunnis in Pakistan don’t trust Shias. Shias in Iran don’t trust Sunnis. The locals in Bangalore don’t trust anyone. Elders in Haryana don’t even trust their daughters. They brutally murder them to uphold family honour!

Anyway, nim karma. Everyone’s becoming increasingly lonely simply because we can’t trust anyone any more. It’s true the world is not as simple as it once was but the moment we abandon trust, for whatever reason, we shut ourselves in and become lonelier. We love less. We fear more. We imagine wrongdoing even where there’s none, simply because we all live in a constant state of paranoia. Anything, anywhere can be misread, misunderstood. The problem gets even worse when we mistrust everyone and start seeing wrong everywhere. That’s what makes us all unhappy, scared, suspicious.

I am happy. I bet on people. I bet on relationships. I treasure some deep human connections. Some of life's best pleasures are its simplest ones. So go ask for the best table in your favorite restaurant and have a chatty evening with that special one. Nothing really happens until you move. Shake hands, do lunches, show genuine interest. Spread your goodwill. Evangelize your message and Business is all about relationships.

Woke-up to a Pleasant Morning,
Jd.