How are you?

Small things give us pleasure and getting a weekend of complete four days is definitely not a small thing. After months of tiring, staggering, and over timing weekdays, it feels even better than the Diwali bonus to have an extended weekend. Mind begins to plan a number of things. Sleeping like a devil tops the list followed by shopping, watching movies, reading novels, eating, partying with friends, etc. It wants to have every single cup of cake. We want to enjoy as if these are our lives’ final four days. And what if in these happy holidays, a good old friend of yours calls you?  Feels like Diwali bonus in addition to the extended weekend!

                             

But what if you do not get to execute any of the plans you had planned? And what if you end up looking at your phone pleading it to ring at least once? At least one of your friends should call you up! There should be someone who misses you! But, sadly, people remember others only when they are sad. Who has time otherwise? You say NO ONE. I say EVERYONE.

You do not have to take out your complete one day or one hour to remember your friend. You do not have to leave your work to visit him/her! One phone call or one text message can do wonders. It wouldn’t cost millions. But people might argue that texting is not equivalent to talking. Correct? Wrong! It is all a matter of priorities. See, it has been just ten to fifteen years in India since mobile phones took over letter writing. Before that, letters used to be the most prominent medium of communication. People used to wait for letters from their near and dear ones eagerly. Postmen were treated as Gods. People would write as if they were talking to their loved ones in personal. Family, friends and relatives were their priorities. And every word of the letter had an emotion associated with it. But it was a slow means of communication. However, today we have access to far better and plenty of lightening fast means of communication. They allow us to connect to each other anytime, anywhere, anyplace. But our priorities have changed. We would rather sit in front of the television and watch ‘Comedy nights with Kapil’ than ask our friend ‘how are you?’ We have become selfish and our lives self centered.

Let me ask you one thing. Later in your lives when you turn old and bones become weak, what satisfaction will your successful professional life bring if you will not have anyone to share the joy with? You can pick up books to keep yourself busy. But books do not talk! They do not have emotions. They are abstract. You can paint pictures but paint brushes cannot bring colors to your black and white life. You can adopt a pet but it will not speak your language. You can socialize on social networking sites but that is all virtual existence.

Friends, man is, by default, a social animal. He requires someone to love him, care for him, and a person who is very special to him. Professional life earns you success while personal life brings you joy and happiness. So let us all call our friends to share that happiness. Let us ask them ‘What’s up?’