survivorship

I still remember the day I first entered my company campus in Mysore. It just felt like I am in a wonderland with so many Alices around. The grass as green as never before, every thing as clean and tidy as possible. The cleaning guys didn’t even leave the road alone, scrubbing and washing it. The whole atmosphere was exuberant with people from all parts of India. Everyone was trying to make new friends.

The expression on the faces of people felt as if they were finally freed from the education system. The Pink Flyod song apt for this “We don’t need no education we don’t need no thought control”. The stint in this wonderland was a short one for me and was unlucky not to find a single Alice. Then it was time to go to Pune. In the city you will get to see some of the best Alices in India. Some nomads with tag hanging around their neck have even told me that this is among the top two, the other is Delhi.

The first year in this artificial world was amusing. We had a small group that used to go together for lunch, breakfast, snacks. Our lunch tables were mostly filled with laughter, with plans being formulated for coming weekends. It was also the year that I had to shed certain traits that were prevalent during college days. I had to be more formal in my conversations and my emails. In college days we could easily bunk lectures but somehow I couldn’t elope these long official meetings, and still figuring out how to. The days in the first year would probably remain the best days of my corporate life.
“Those were the best days of my life”
- Summer of 69: Bryan Adams.

The members of the group I had, started parting out in the next year. Some of them left the company, some started hanging out with their Alice’s, and some like me were desperate to find some new friends. The lunch tables were more with people who didn’t gel that well but simply accompanied for the sake of having some accomplice. This year I started to understand intricacies in the corporate world. I tried to make sense of diplomatic talks of my managers. I tried to be like one of them.
“You labeled me; I'll label you, Never Free, Never Me, So I dub thee Unforgiven”
- The Unforgiven: Metallica.

The lunch table in the third year was not the same. In lunch time I would have liked talks other than project/work as you would have done most of it through out the whole day. The people I went for lunch were mostly my project mates. The group was gone, the fun was gone and most importantly the people. This was the year filled with more frustration, dissatisfaction. It was more about struggling to survive.
“Hey man I’m alive I’m taking each day and night at a time.
Yeah I’m down, but I know Ill get by
I’m feeling like a Monday, but someday Ill be Saturday night “
- Someday I’ll be Saturday Night: Bon Jovi

I remember in college we used to dream about getting that dream job, getting salary at month end. To be independent and break that umbilical cord with family, at least financially. But life is not that rosy as it seems in dreams. Things change with time and so do the workplace. It was joyful for me in the beginning and it started getting lonelier as time passes by. It will be the matter of survival till time halts, but before it halts I want to elevate myself.
“A star
Lit up like a cigar
Strung out like a guitar
Maybe you can educate my mind
Explain all these controls
Can't sing but I've got soul
The goal is elevation “
- Elevation: U2