I had been to a short visit to Mumbai and Pune with my baby and my hubby.
There was a get-together with my friends and relatives in Mumbai and there was a Sankranti special program called "bornhaaN" in Pune. I had invited many of my friends for both the events well in advance as I knew very well that the week ends are generally busy. In Mumbai, the event was on Sunday and in Pune the event was on a week day.
It was a great learning for me when many of my friends did not even acknowledge the invitation mail that I had sent out. I can completely understand if they hadn't turned up due to some xyz reason, but many of them did not even bother to read the mail and write back to me. Some friends told me that they will try to make it, but they did not turn up either, reasons - the mega block on Sundays in Mumbai and due to earlier personal commitments which were clashing. So, none of my friends turned up in Mumbai for the get-together, except two who were friends of Atul and who had also become my friends over a period of time. They made it inspite of the mega block and the so-called other odds on that day. I am very thankful to them. In Pune, because it was a working day, it was difficult for the friends to come as they had been to work. Even in Pune, 4 of my close friends did turn up to share my happiness. I was very happy to see them after a long time and I am also not sure, when would our next meeting be. I thought about the other friends, who couldn't come, "Couldn't they manage one day to come early and come for my program?" But then I also put myself in their shoes. Would I have gone to such a get-together after a hectic and tiring working day? Perhaps yes, perhaps no.
When I posted the pics of the program on FB, all those friends who did not turn up for the event liked it and praised it and showered their virtual love on Tanay. I thought to myself, is it really worth? Are we so busy nowadays that we get time to login to a virtual world and write about the great time we had or great movies we saw, but meeting people, friends, relatives, in person has become next to impossible? Are we shying away from showing emotions towards the people with whom we spent a good deal of our life as a child or as a student in college? Have the expensive gadgets and applications and the so-called "well being" in terms of status and money dried up the warmth and affection towards our own friends and relatives? Will our grandchildren and their generations to come meet up only in virtual meeting rooms?
These thoughts gave me goosebumps and I wondered how to overcome these things which are now a part and parcel of our generation..
There was a get-together with my friends and relatives in Mumbai and there was a Sankranti special program called "bornhaaN" in Pune. I had invited many of my friends for both the events well in advance as I knew very well that the week ends are generally busy. In Mumbai, the event was on Sunday and in Pune the event was on a week day.
It was a great learning for me when many of my friends did not even acknowledge the invitation mail that I had sent out. I can completely understand if they hadn't turned up due to some xyz reason, but many of them did not even bother to read the mail and write back to me. Some friends told me that they will try to make it, but they did not turn up either, reasons - the mega block on Sundays in Mumbai and due to earlier personal commitments which were clashing. So, none of my friends turned up in Mumbai for the get-together, except two who were friends of Atul and who had also become my friends over a period of time. They made it inspite of the mega block and the so-called other odds on that day. I am very thankful to them. In Pune, because it was a working day, it was difficult for the friends to come as they had been to work. Even in Pune, 4 of my close friends did turn up to share my happiness. I was very happy to see them after a long time and I am also not sure, when would our next meeting be. I thought about the other friends, who couldn't come, "Couldn't they manage one day to come early and come for my program?" But then I also put myself in their shoes. Would I have gone to such a get-together after a hectic and tiring working day? Perhaps yes, perhaps no.
When I posted the pics of the program on FB, all those friends who did not turn up for the event liked it and praised it and showered their virtual love on Tanay. I thought to myself, is it really worth? Are we so busy nowadays that we get time to login to a virtual world and write about the great time we had or great movies we saw, but meeting people, friends, relatives, in person has become next to impossible? Are we shying away from showing emotions towards the people with whom we spent a good deal of our life as a child or as a student in college? Have the expensive gadgets and applications and the so-called "well being" in terms of status and money dried up the warmth and affection towards our own friends and relatives? Will our grandchildren and their generations to come meet up only in virtual meeting rooms?
These thoughts gave me goosebumps and I wondered how to overcome these things which are now a part and parcel of our generation..
Virtual expressions are such easy option to personal presence. Call it the perils of a developed world !!!
ReplyDelete