Weird.
That’s what I thought. Nothing else but my age is the problem. I was born in 1986. When I was in school, I never had a problem with that because all my friends where from either the same year or the previous one. When I went to college, the story changed a little bit by having classmates from 1983/82 or even 1981 (rare! there was only one). When I was working in Chennai, my boss was the eldest among us all. She was born in 1977. Sometimes I imagined her in Eastman Colour. :) Don’t worry guys; my parents are also from the Eastman colour age even though grandparents come from the Technicolor or Black and White period. There I was... thinking of myself in a modern Panavision or Kodak colour or even in a Film Noir style (just for style) walking around these people in B&W, Technicolor and Eastman and suddenly I was sent to work with a crew for the post production and pre-release advertisement of a film. I reached this studio and was introduced to a group of young boys and girls (8 of them). I was told to lead the team to design and create five high definition posters of the film. As part of the ice-breaking, I found out that I am the only one born in the 80s. Half of them were born in 1990 and the other half 1991/92. They looked at me like I belong to a different species, or that’s what I thought.
Anyways, the age difference was useful because they felt obliged to listen to me when I spoke or gave instructions or suggestions. But, throughout the week I worked with them I had this feeling that I am too old compared to them and some of them even strengthened that fear of mine by started calling me 'chechi' (affectionately, elder sister). By the time we had a party as part of winding up the work, some of them made it a point to make a joke out of it.
But, that’s not the end of it. I came back home. Mom was very happy because I was home after two and a half months of work and I am not inclined to go anywhere for at least a month. She had made plans for this month on what to do and where to go stuff. She had also made a pile of wedding invitations on the table from my friends inviting for their wedding or her friends inviting for their children's wedding. That’s one thing I don’t like along with so many other things these days. So I threw it to the top of a cupboard and made my mornings pleasant by looking at the table without programme charts. The horrible thing happened. There are some neighbours who were checking on mom when I wasn't here. One of them was my mother’s classmate when she was in college. (They had a very emotional re-union after what they call 27 long years in our box-like apartment lift after we moved in here). She is planning her daughter's (less than my age as that is the fashion these days) wedding. She was also born in the traumatic times of post-Cold-War period!!
Now I am forced to think that I am the only one born in the 1980s in this locale. As I can't find any......
Weird!!!
That’s what I thought. Nothing else but my age is the problem. I was born in 1986. When I was in school, I never had a problem with that because all my friends where from either the same year or the previous one. When I went to college, the story changed a little bit by having classmates from 1983/82 or even 1981 (rare! there was only one). When I was working in Chennai, my boss was the eldest among us all. She was born in 1977. Sometimes I imagined her in Eastman Colour. :) Don’t worry guys; my parents are also from the Eastman colour age even though grandparents come from the Technicolor or Black and White period. There I was... thinking of myself in a modern Panavision or Kodak colour or even in a Film Noir style (just for style) walking around these people in B&W, Technicolor and Eastman and suddenly I was sent to work with a crew for the post production and pre-release advertisement of a film. I reached this studio and was introduced to a group of young boys and girls (8 of them). I was told to lead the team to design and create five high definition posters of the film. As part of the ice-breaking, I found out that I am the only one born in the 80s. Half of them were born in 1990 and the other half 1991/92. They looked at me like I belong to a different species, or that’s what I thought.
Anyways, the age difference was useful because they felt obliged to listen to me when I spoke or gave instructions or suggestions. But, throughout the week I worked with them I had this feeling that I am too old compared to them and some of them even strengthened that fear of mine by started calling me 'chechi' (affectionately, elder sister). By the time we had a party as part of winding up the work, some of them made it a point to make a joke out of it.
But, that’s not the end of it. I came back home. Mom was very happy because I was home after two and a half months of work and I am not inclined to go anywhere for at least a month. She had made plans for this month on what to do and where to go stuff. She had also made a pile of wedding invitations on the table from my friends inviting for their wedding or her friends inviting for their children's wedding. That’s one thing I don’t like along with so many other things these days. So I threw it to the top of a cupboard and made my mornings pleasant by looking at the table without programme charts. The horrible thing happened. There are some neighbours who were checking on mom when I wasn't here. One of them was my mother’s classmate when she was in college. (They had a very emotional re-union after what they call 27 long years in our box-like apartment lift after we moved in here). She is planning her daughter's (less than my age as that is the fashion these days) wedding. She was also born in the traumatic times of post-Cold-War period!!
Now I am forced to think that I am the only one born in the 1980s in this locale. As I can't find any......
Weird!!!
:-) Funny.
ReplyDeleteI guess we all are feeling it now in one way or the other. And it will keep increasing in the coming years. Just be prepared. I loved the way you managed the wedding invitations because I myself might have done it that way. By the way I am invited to two weddings before I leave Kerala. Shahira's Nikah and my SB College buddy Majo's wedding. Both in Alappuzha. I am gonna go and eat the non-veg feast!!
hahaha...just be thankful ur not actually LIVING with ur parents :P
ReplyDeleteI am, Jyotsna. I was living alone in Chennai. But, when I moved into Bangalore, my mom came and stayed with me. Its just that I was away for two months as part of a film crew. Now I am back and free till next month 3rd week. So, I have no choice now... hehe :)
ReplyDelete@ Manu - I got the idea from you. Remember when we were in school? We were in the classteacher's room and our parents were waiting for the progress reports. The reports fell down and scattered all over the floor and we were taking it to give the class teachers and you threw yours and Reen's on the top of a dusty almirah which were not in use. Later, they were searching for it and never found and you guys were exempted from a public mark trial. :)
ReplyDeleteI got invitation from Shahira. Called her. Wont be coming for the wedding. I told her that you are at home. And don't tell me that you are going there only for the food. :-)