In Vacant or in Pensive Mood

Did you think that peer pressure is something experienced only by children and youth? Well, think again! I ride my scooter to work and face peer pressure on a daily basis. At almost every traffic junction, there is at least one fellow motorist behind me, honking to tell me I should cross, several seconds before the light turns from red to green. Even when I am just approaching a traffic junction, if the light has turned from green to orange (for the couple of seconds before turning red), there are more than one motorists behind me insisting that I keep going - even though traffic rules and common sense, both lean towards slowing down and stopping at the junction. Sadly, however, this kind of peer pressure isn't limited to the roads. Even in the journey of life, people expect us to keep rushing forward. Remember Dr. Viru Sahastrabudhhe's speech in the 3 Idiots about life being a race? That's what I'm talking about. I'm sure every Indian can relate to this - of...

Since the time I remember, I've always been one of those persons who lived far away. When I was a kid, my home was only about 5 kms from school, but when compared to the other kids who could just walk up to school in a matter of 5 minutes, I lived far away. As I grew up over the years, the distance I've had to travel on a regular basis has also progressively grown. I did my Bachelor's degree in a place about 10 kms from my home, my first job was a little farther, and the college where I did my Master's degree a bit more. Well, you get the picture! It has never been far enough to stay in a hostel, but it has always been quite a time-consuming commute. Now, I travel roughly about 45 kilometres every day in my commute between home and work. Sometimes, I choose to ride my two-wheeler, sometimes I choose to travel by public transport. Either way, my journey is long enough for my mind to sink in and get lost in a world of thoughts. I have found that these journ...