I have come to a conclusion, dear reader, and I am going to tell you all about it.
Every now and then, and purely for your sake, I sit back and ruminate about things. I do not do this, you understand, to waste time, or because I am bored, or because I have a deadline. No, I do it to further our understanding of the world we live in. Just so we’re clear.
And this time, after sustained reflection, I have come to the conclusion that we do things way better than the western world. It’s not even close, actually.
We’re three times better than them – we have ‘em well and truly licked. Here’s how.
Westerners start to take life a little easy around December, and particularly so in the latter half. A Yuletide spirit permeates the air, everybody looks relaxed and happy, and tidings of joy and happiness are manifestly present in all and sundry. Life, in other words, is truly wonderful, and the holiday season is well and truly underway.
Pah. Amateurs.
We start kicking back now, in October. Three months before the year ends, we play the Navratri card, and turn up the Chill Dial a notch.
Assignments, projects, deliverables all start to take a backseat, and new clothes, parties and good food begin to climb up the consciousness charts. Call it what you will – Pujo, Dussehra, Vijaydashmi or any other name you like.
It essentially is a signal to start taking things easy. And it gets better!
In November, we plead the mitigating circumstance of Diwali and give up work, more or less. THe Chill Dial is now maxed out. How can one possibly work after eating all that food, and why would you work when you could snore away the after-effects of entire nights being spent in playing cards. Just not done, at least not among civilized folk.
Copious amounts of presents, food, and firecrackers is what we focus on – in theory for about five days; in reality, for about the entirety of November.
And then of course, it is December, and ‘tis the time to be merry.
The Chill Dial is now redlining, as it should. Which is why, we Indians say, work should really begin in January, and that too a good couple of days into the month. In this much, we find ourselves in complete agreement with the rest of the world.
As I’ve been saying, we just think the rest of the world needs to catch up with the idea that work should more or less cease in October – not December.
And which is why, today onwards, I plan to dial back things a notch, and live life at a slower pace. Near and dear ones might snort derisively and say that this is not humanly possible, given the glacial speeds at which I anyways work. Best to ignore the doubters, dear reader, best to ignore them. Join me in slowing down the pace of life now, and we’ll meet work and it’s paraphernalia in 2019.
Civilization, I aver, done right.
~~
He doesn't expect the paradox to be resolved in his lifetime
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