9.6.08

Time to pay the rent and other grown up things!

So far, I have identified two side effects of growing up. I mean, not like it makes a difference or anything because, the Growing Up tablet/tonic is not a choice, its just shoved down the throat! So, like I was saying, the two side effects I have identified are

* You keep wondering whether you've finally grown up or not (not physically OBVIOUSLY, but you know, the abstract bit)

* Diminishing number of 'friends'.

The first time that it struck me that I had grown up (at the age of twenty four) was when I had to house hunt. It scared the everything out of me. I don't do house hunts man! Its a grown up thing....I'm not a grown up? Or am I? I was so intimidated and daunted. What if the guy tried to rip me off (which he did - ironically, he was an Indian!) When I learn that my friends, fellow class bunkers, fellow hooters, cat callers, fellow tuck-sari-in-waist-and-shamelessly-dance-to-koothu-music-ers, are tying nuptial knots, it knots my stomach up! Or are they just marrying early? Aah, the power of the mind to argue, counter argue and finally convince you of what you want to hear! Funny, but dangerous.

The other side effect, the one about friends, that was a harder side effect to learn to live with. When you are young(er), you meet someone, you laugh all the time, wavelengths match, and voila, you have a friend! Its pretty simple. But as a grown up (or so I think at the moment) its not that easy. You meet someone, you laugh a lot, wavelengths match and voila, you are reminded of the time, the same thing happened with the other girl who you thought was a soul sista and then you (and your friendship) fell flat on the face. And you take a step back, laugh a little less and keep an arm's distance. By now, I do know that as progression of age takes place, that is the best strategy to implement. Because, ultimately (again, a result of growing up) we realize that time is the truest test of everything. And slowly, one by one, some of them fade into oblivion and very few precious ones remain.

But worse than everything, everything, is a third side effect. It doesnt happen, it attacks! When you are traveling in a bus/train/plane and you see this really cute Indian kid and you as usual aah, ooh, and choo cute and finally coo, whach is youueerr nameee?? (though you know perfectly well, that the kid can probably only say, ga, goo, and chochi) and the mother, to humour you, chips in, "Come on XYZ, tell your name to AUNTY".

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh....somebody shoot me!!

8 comments:

Vadapoche said...

Sometimes its quite scary! Wish we could go back to the good old days...

Amit Charles said...

Good one. Candid expressions well converged to words.

The process never stops.

keep it rollin;)

Aarthi said...

Hey Aashi u rem when I used to go for walk in the Millenium park...small kids will be playing/practising tennis nearby. They might hit the ball wrong and it would be in the park sometimes...i make sure i pick it up for them only if they say "Akka pls akka" and not "Aunty plss aunty!!!!"

D said...

You know you've grown up when you stop asking if you've grown up and start convincing yourself 28 is still young!

Nisha said...

oh man...talk abt this growing up bit..aunty...arghhh!!!
and seriously...this friend bit...i hate it...why cant we make lots of good friends like we did when we were 13. it was crazy..and so much fun. i miss it.

Divia said...

dont worry da you will soon come reconcile with it. i didnt feel bad as the version was not aunty, but chithi, athai, perima...

you cant stop it, can you? so accept the change

Gayatri Bhadran said...

lol. hilarious post. you're NOT old and the Aunty quoting aunty can take a hike for asking her kid to call you that. =)

'Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought!' said...

Couldn't agree less.....only few precious ones remain - but boy, are they worth all the trouble or what :)

I don't think I can get used to being called aunty - therefore I'm gonna implement what they do here -call everyone by name :D

Agendas and winning

When my children were toddlers, I had a quote stuck on my shelf which read, “When we lose our agendas, everybody wins.” At that time I was j...