If I was living in a world where I had no worries or expectations (of
my own and others'), what would have been my career choices? I know it is a bizarre
question, given its hypothetical nature…
However, the question did occur to me and here are four things that
popped in my mind…
The Goods Train Guard
I have always been a great admirer of the Indian goods train. It is a
world in itself. I would have loved to serve as a guard in one of these amiable
snails. It would certainly be a great joy to stand in the guard station at the
very end of this train and watch the long set of compartments ahead gently
discipline themselves and fall in line, as they dance to the tunes of a winding
track. The train’s purposeless pace, the patience it savours in letting pass
every passenger train it encounters and its ability to gently be a part of the
myriad Indian villages without really touching any of them are great joys, I believe.
Sitting on the guard’s seat while sipping coffee and slowly absorbing everything
that passes by, waving flags to the world and taking things at their own pace,
certainly appeals to me as a great career choice…
The Village Primary School Teacher
Every word in this job description is
important. The school must be in a village (preferably as non-descript as
possible), the class needs to be at a primary level and if I am the only one
teacher in the school (as defined by “THE”), my idea of another perfect career
choice could just be under way. The idea of serving at the grass root level of
our country and shape thoughts and lives at that level truly appeals to me a
lot. Well you may ask why “Primary” and why a “Village” only. That’s because I just
would like to take life a little easy… idealism combined with a easy-chair
attitude may not be a perfect recipe, but I will like it…
The Musician Performer
The perfect setting would be while
performing in an event where I am not at the centre stage. Say, like performing
in a live-concert at a party/ marriage. While I would certainly like to give a
great performance, I would like to give the audience a choice of either being
in their own world or be a part of mine or give them an option to just switch
between the worlds. And a true musician (like the one I aspire to be), I believe, wouldn’t care a damn what choice the individuals ultimately make. Because I would
like to view each of these performances as another opportunity to live in my
own world… rather than as a chance to please others and allow them in to mine…
A Student for Life
I will most happily embrace a chance to
be a student for a life. However I wouldn’t like to be distracted with grades, exams,
specializations, streams etc.. Would just like to go learn things which
interest me, things that remain a mystery to me and things that I enjoy doing. The
learning itself could be in any stream and I would not like it constrained
either by the boundaries of academic learning or by worrying about their
marketability… Just pure learning for the sake of learning..
Well.. the dreams could continue. But here
is my present world knocking at my door and asking me to hastily return to its
realities. And I humbly submit myself to her… as I am acutely aware that its after all my choice..
