I'm in that extremely-rare-at-this-age, happy-go-lucky, sabbatical phase.
YES. I quit my job two and a half months ago and have been doing, well acutally, dreaming about doing, all the things that I've always wanted to do, but never got time to. But truth be told, time does fly. Only yesterday I was wondering where all these days went. So what did I manage to accomplish in the last 9 weeks of unemployment? Let's see:
- The long-awaited Vipassana course (2 weeks) - Yes. I did keep mum for 10 days. No. I didn't break the rules. More on that in a separate post. This one's only recap.
- The much-needed sibling time - (1 week) - Spent a week in Mallaya land. Sibling and sibling-spouse bonding initiated, Stage 001 complete. Of course, would've loved a lot more time there but a waiting spouse needed attention.
- Family-bonding time (3 days-1 week) - Spent a week back in Hyd with mes parents and mon frere and spouse. The first time our now-Size 6 family met. Bliss time.
- Friends, fiends and soulmates (1 week) - Mumbai-Matheran-Mumbai. Met a boss-bugged, overworked dear friend who reminded me to thank the Almighty for not being in that situation and to pray that she gets out of hers fast enough. Met QQ who reminded me how good life can be with your best girlfriend around, except of course, when she devilishly and deviously gives you wrong advice on footwear (More in another post - I promise. Recap, remember?) Met Arch whose shoulder I could cry on/lean on for wardrobe woes/sartorial sermons. Met U&P who reminded me how love is not a slave of time; how a decade of togetherness could seem like just a speck on the spectrum of time you have ahead of you, with each other. Met R&S who reminded me of the initial hiccups of a working couple. It made me wonder, what makes one WANT to live in Mumbai? The long distance travel, the traffic, the rentals, everything seems to intolerable, and yet, there are millions who live there and many others who aspire to.
- WHERE DID THE OTHER 4 GO? Now let me see. I did watch a LOT of silly movies, cooked like never before (good or bad, do not ask), slept a bit, grappled with brief illness, sorted a million papers I'd been hoarding, read - much lesser than I'd have loved to, worked out - lesser than I'd read, meditated - lesser than I'd worked out. But guess what, I'm loving it!
Little did I know when I kissed my job goodbye, that there would be souls who'd be envious of me in that state. Over the last few (atleast I'd like to think of them that way!) weeks I've come across a good number of people (women) who'd love to be in my shoes. MY unemployed, cash-crunched, waiting-to-be-replaced, shoes. (Okay - that was dramatic. I'm not in such bad financial shape either. But of course, if you wish to donate to the Shisul Sab-Rehab Fund you're always welcome!)
Its nice to hear ex-colleagues (Rocks&Roses) throw choicest expletives at you when you tell them you're out shopping/eating fresh pasta at a fine-dining restaurant for LUNCH, while they're slogging away at their desks. Ummm...now that's what I call a break.
All the niceties and frivolities aside, I'm beginning to feel scared. Scared I might get used to this life and not want to get onto a full-time job anymore. Onto doing something to earn enough to go on vacations a few times a year, to spend weekends watching movies and eating out..is that what life's all about? Do you choose what you'd like to do, which may not feed you, but will keep you happy enough? Or do you pick what is the way of the world? Duty/responsibility over pleasure? Isn't there are larger purpose of our existence? Beyond our own selfish selves? What is mine? Do I follow my heart or my head? What would you do?
