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Monday, February 06, 2006

SAR JHUKTA HAI SMS KARNE MEIN

Sar uthta hai garv mein
Sar uthta hai khushi mein
Sar uthta hai “coca cola” peene mein

Nokia could follow suit of this famous Aamir Khan starrer ad.

Sar jhukta hai sharm mein
Sar jhukta hai gham mein
Sar jhukta hai “sms” karne mein…..

I say Nokia not because I have a personal grudge towards the company. No sir, infact I own a Nokia phone and am very proud of it. I say Nokia because it is the largest selling phone in India.

The culture that I am taking about is the product of the telecom revolution and more so the easy availability and perceived fashion statement one makes as a result of owning a mobile phone. I work in a reputed telecom company and am sorry to say that I have a hard time seeing the faces of my colleagues… u know why? Simply because when they are not glued to their computer monitors, they have their heads hung smsing someone. I am intrigued at how they always find someone to sms. I am myself a prolific sms user sending about 100 sms per day (they are free). But when in office, especially when I’m out of my seat walking around, socializing, stretching my legs and basically trying to gather some elusive piece of gossip, I rarely think of a reason or subject to sms someone. But my colleagues think otherwise. Rarely have I seen someone in my office walk the corridor without busily smsing someone. It is definitely not an activity restricted to office corridors, its invading the world. While crossing the road, while waiting for the store keeper to bag your purchases, while out on a morning walk, while on the potty (don’t ask me how I know)!!

I think it is a very convenient way to avoid the world. It serves a lot of purposes. You appear to be busy, you apparently have someone to sms all the time (it is a totally different issue that you may be only checking out the handset features or locking and unlocking your keypad repeatedly), you don’t have to make eye contact with the world, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary pleasantries and friendliness, you look content in your world..you, your mobile and your sms! Perfect family.

Come on man, give it a break! Look up! Look at the world around you. Notice the colleague smiling and waving at you whose face falls because you didn’t return his/her greeting. Look out for that vehicle which is coming out in full speed at the intersection. Look at the world God created exclusively for you. Look at the beautiful things he decorated it with. Look at that pretty chic at the corner or the hunk at the local cafĂ©. Look up to see the beauty of flowers, the full moon surrounded by a million stars, the smile of a baby. Look for that ever elusive speck of innocence in our lives. God did bless most of us with eyes so that we may enjoy the visual feast he has laid down for us! Enjoy it, lest it may fade before you realize.

Look at the pace at which the world is changing around you. Look up and observe …. The world is rushing past you and you are left smsing.

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Mumbai product - went around the world - got hitched and escaped from the Silicon city of India to the land of glamour and royalty - London. I write every time my heart stirs......