Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Small town diary- Part I

‘Peaceful’. Period.
“Well…I like small towns like ….., they have so many things which glitzy metros don’t…like, y’know…they’re so peaceful and…and…and….”

Got the gist? Life in a small town has ‘so much’ to offer, we start and after saying ‘peaceful’ , we come to a dead-end.

Like they say, the grass is always greener on the etc. etc. Friends who drop in here for a few days, gush and I mean GUSH…”Wow, you’re so lucky, living here!” Followed invariably by the query, “Could I invest in some property here?”

You could, buddy. If you’re ready to put up with some inconvenient truths.
We are a peaceful place and people and that is the beginning and end of the story. If you’re on the verge of retiring or already retired you’ll like it here. Invest in a chartered helicopter and you’re all set. Why helicopter? How else do you intend to reach New Delhi or Jaipur instantly in case of a medical emergency?  You know anything can happen at that age and a train or taxi or an ambulance will take you 3+ hours. You might as well say goodbye to your folks when you leave, you never know, you know… We have hospitals, of course. What do you take us for? But somehow……….you get it?

You could also come here if you want to study, because we apparently have the maximum numbers of educational institutes here. Schools, colleges, professional, technical institutes…you name it, we have it. You/your kids will have a lovely time here and will be able to compete with the best anywhere in the world, provided they are self-sufficient, y’know, self-motivated, dedicated individuals who find their own way, without expecting any expert help from the hallowed institutions. Or if they are doing the ‘professional’ courses, they have to have Budhdha-like zen, contentment of the highest order, and of course they should know better than to compare (and cringe in horror) with the lakhs they pay for the education to the thousands they’ll earn (if at all) after graduating from here. Of course, we have opportunities for the young, just don’t ask what kind. A small town teaches you contentment like nothing else.

That brings me to another virtue- patience……which we small-towners have in abundance. But we’ll take it up tomorrow, ok? See, your first lesson of patience. J

2 comments:

  1. Well said.
    But all the years that I lived in a small town, I didn't notice all this.

    I guess one makes lemonade . :)

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  2. One is :) and making others drink it too .
    BTW, your 'small town' is not the kind ours is! The difference between Guj and Raj. also being substantial.

    ReplyDelete