Importance of money and support in ones life

 
A few years back, I was working in a good multinational corporation when I suddenly lost my job as it decided to shut down this division. After working for nearly thirty years, I felt that I would be choosy and not work unless I got a really good job to my liking. But actually , no such job came my way and I got busy with my own paperwork and household matters which I had neglected for years as time was not available for these.

Initially , I enjoyed the freedom but over time, I felt frustrated and bored. I had many things to get done but each time I postponed the work as I felt that the work demanded more money than I was willing to put in . Then , I started looking into my finances and started sorting them out, in order to have more money at my disposal. It took time and expertise which I did not have , so I had to learn them painstakingly. Also, I did not trust too many people and so, I could not ask everyone.  I realised the importance of good friends.

Also, as I started to sort out many things, every step of the way , money hampered me. Today, I have a few clear realisations.

1. One needs a fairly large amount of money to lead a decent life . with savings, one can only go so far . One has to keep earning, in order to have a great income.

2. If work is the only means of earning money, we need to understand a few things- employment is rarely a pleasant experience as every person has their own compulsions and bring these along with them to the workplace. We have to understand this and work around it and learn to accept it. But it does not mean that we have to be doormats. But we have to stop complaining and do what is necessary as we have chosen this job as our means of earning a living.

3. We need the support of friends and relatives to live in this world successfully. In order to do this, we have to accept the people in our life and work around their behaviour and idiosyncracies. If we are able to do that, we will be happy and successful in this world. If not, we will find ourselves alone and our lives very difficult.

Being poor in this country

Being Poor in this country.

The monsoons have started and the weather is very pleasant . The trees are green and all the plants are shining. Grass has already started sprouting everywhere and that dry , parched look is fast disappearing.

But while I went for my morning walk, I was not able to walk in certain parts of the park as it was very muddy and quishy. One had to feel ones way through very carefully in order to avoid slipping and falling.

At this point, a thought really struck me that life is so difficult , in a poor country. Every season brings with it so many challenges. Even those who are relatively well -off are not able to live comfortably, let alone the poor. In summer, one has to worry about the severe heat and the ramifications. One has to time ones walks as it is so hot and unbearable outside.  Going out on ones errands becomes difficult for people as the extreme heat takes its toll. It is not possible for all places to be airconditioned , so people have to bear with the heat and extreme discomfort. Many people fall sick during this time. The poor have an even worse time. They are unable to afford the conveniences of air conditioners and such like and so they are much worse off in terms of health and comfort. This is the time when a lot of people escape for vacations , if they can afford it or they go home to their villages or native places , to avoid the daily grind.

In the monsoons, the damp weather  and constant rain presents a new set of challenges. Roads are waterlogged, making traffic a nightmare and people are constantly falling sick.  In a developed country, with better roads and better management of resources and environment, the people do not have to worry  about these things.

In winter, the extreme cold brings a fresh set of challenges. Instead of enjoying the weather, we have to make arrangements for the extreme cold conditions. Abroad , homes are centrally heated or cooled but here electricity costs are exorbitant and of limited availability. So, comforts come at a cost and not to be taken for granted. Even in offices, few are centrally heated , so the winters are an extremely challenging time. With our  usual resourcefulness,  we have been  able to figure out ways to enjoy our lives despite these difficulties. But difficult it is neverthe less.

So, is it the vast population ? Or is it the lack of proper management . I feel it is many factors which have left us in this situation for decades. Years of neglect after independence , as the politicians were either unable to understand the importance of these parameters or did not believe it was possible.  Also, the vast illiterate population and its attendant ills of extreme poverty, poor health, poor understanding, etcand the lack of infrastructure ,  made life extremely difficult. Lastly and most importantly, greed arising out of poverty, transformed an entire nation into one large cesspool of corruption.


Hence , what is essential is to improve governance so that the benefits of good governance reaches all. Simultaneously, it is important to educate the people as an aware citizenry will automatically self-regulate their family sizes in order to provide a better life for all . All of these measures will enable our country to prosper and become a much more easy and comfortable place to live.