It's who we are

We were discussing the various kinds of flooring available in the market today. “You can tell the age of the house from its flooring,” I said. “No,” said my friend Prabha. “The floor can be easily changed. I would say that you can tell the age of the occupants by looking at the floor.”

True. More than the bi-focals and receding hair line, it is the attitude of status quo that is a dead give away of age. It is a charade that my husband and I act out from time to time. Returning from yet another house warming ceremony, bowled over by the bright, new granite/vitreous flooring, we would ‘seriously’ discuss getting the flooring in our house re-laid. After passing a few minutes detailing the fantasy, the head would eventually checkmate the heart with the question, “What’s wrong with this floor? It serves the purpose, doesn’t it?”

Sometimes we enact a variation of this routine. The opening line here is “Shall we change the car?” But the closing lines are always the same. “What is wrong with ours? It serves the purpose, doesn’t it?”

Perhaps it is a generational thing. For, our generation of midnight’s children has lived life by certain rigid values. Before we open the purse we need to have a clear answer to one, important question “Is it necessary?” Most, if not all, proposals don’t hold up to that question.

The other day, while out shopping, I lost my mobile phone. After I got home, I had a call from my niece. Apparently she had got a call (the last number dialled) from someone informing her that the phone was in his safe custody at such and such a place.

“You are incredibly lucky” she said, “I have never heard of anyone getting back their phone.” “By the way,” she asked, as an after thought, “what model is it?” “I don’t remember,” I said, “It’s has been so long.” “You mean you are still holding on to that entry level thing?” she asked in disbelief. And why not?

As the pretty girl in the ad says, “It’s not just a phone. It is who we are.”