This is in answer to Swati’s blog, who
is a journalist friend of mine from Kolkata. Not that it makes too much of a difference to many bloggers to read a opinion post.
She is trying to be the unapologetic narcissist. Who, cares right now to set her own life straight before messing it up with things like love and rather complicated relationships. Pretty much what I was trying to do a couple of years ago… And it feels good that she has done a good job of cheering herself up.
Enough with the part on the back for her, I guess I should come to the point. She points out some rather pressing matters, as to how she defines herself as a geek, or how she likes reading more than “work hard party harder” friends, who are rushing into most things (quite rightly put). How each of us have become clones of each other. In trying to outdo each other in every way possible, but the one thing each of us aim for is “acceptance” in the society as a part of them. A mere clone of them who are uber cool and uber smart, and know the MEANING OF LIFE...
I guess reading the blog makes more sense, coz I just wrote what I thought was the gist of the matter.
I agree in all respects.
Except one.
Though one may define a GEEK as someone supremely intellectual, just not in the same admiring way I am putting it. It is referred in dictionary.reference.com as
geek Slang.
n.
- A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
- A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
She is not one, as far as I know her, she speaks well, socializes well enough, has done her bit of partying smoking, booze, flirtations when she wanted to. And she is back to her own life as she likes it. What is it with us and the self deprecations we put ourselves through? Why is it that we decide that since we are not one of them, we are “Geeks”, “boring”, “devoid of a ‘LIFE’”… why is it that even my friends from college call me up to party with them and my refusal is generally greeted with disdain and a rather condescending comment about how I have become a “boring” person. How does wanting to do things differently or different things make me boring?
I know I have a better life than them. It’s not the same routine of going to discotheques every Tuesday and Saturday, finding a man/woman to fuck/flirt depending on your relationship status on facebook. And going to college and coming back. For a repeated period of 5 years and intending to continue it for the rest of their ‘exciting’ lives…
How does my wanting to travel and read (which is another non expensive way of travelling) and read Manga, and driving around Delhi with my boyfriend, or travel in buses with my friends, listening to music make my life any less exciting than theirs. How does it even make me antisocial? I can claim to have known more people, having more fun, having more friends to help me when I need them. Along with all the adventure that each of these things brings to me…
Yes swati, we are becoming clones of each other. And faster than you can say JHUMRITALAIYA, each of us is busy trying to “get a life”. Each of us getting ruder, pretentious and unhappier under the surface…
I just hope it doesn’t soon take over everyone of us who wants to be different and respect ourselves rather than exhault.
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