Sunday, June 22, 2008

Taare Zameen Par

-M's daughter is in National Law School, a place she worked hard to achieve.Couple of years into school, she's not sure this is what she wants. M wonders if all this hard work and career orientation is all there is in life?

-S's son works in a trading organisation ; a job that pays dividends. Now he feels life can't be about just money and he's itching to discover out the rest.

-G's son refuses to take the PG degree she thinks is necessary - he wants to quit his job and see the world.

- R opted out of placements in IIM to try and pursue a low paying job in journalism. (His large educational loan is growing and he plans to get an additional loan to study journalism.

These are all kids I know personally and have their parents worried about what is going on in their kid's heads.

Our gen had it simple. We were middle class, happy to get a seat somewhere in some good college ,study hard, happy to get that job and work hard to keep family and soul together. Few of us had alternate thoughts.

But now our kids are born into a greater degree of affluence. None of these kids have to provide for their parents so one pushing force has been removed.
Parents too recognize the right to pursue a dream. To choose their own path. Which doesnt have to be well trodden.

Yet, yday when Kalpana, a child sponsored by FF (Kalpana is on the home page).
came to ask Science or Maths for her Plus Two course; I instinctively say- go for Math you could become an Engg and get a fat salary. Although she has opted for Pure Science because that is the only course available to her in Tamil medium.
She is scared to study in English although she will be forced to do it when she goes to college. Her idea is to become a teacher. For a cowherd's daughter, that is a big dream. I tell her that I will help out with her lessons in the evenings. Will she switch , Im not sure.
Is my advice right? Im not sure.

6 comments:

RAJI MUTHUKRISHNAN said...

Recently my dentist, who is not yet 40, has a wife and two children under five, and has a successful practice with hight profile patients told me he is going to close down the practice. He wants to do what he WANTS to do, which is not dentistry. Like you say, the pressure of having to support one's parents is off for this generation, so they are free to make these choices.

But are they making the right decision? Watch this space.

kallu said...

Raji, next we will have to think 'what is right? and who decides that?

RAJI MUTHUKRISHNAN said...

I should have said - 'the right decision for themselves'

kallu said...

Right Raji :-)

Happy Kitten said...

But I do think that many select professions which they dont like due to parent or peer pressure. A good example would be the parents running for a medical or engineering seat for their children. Some of them dont even pass out and some who pass out are never happy in their jobs.

kallu said...

Happy kitten, true. Most parents can't see beyond the engg- medicine professions and many times, its their frustrated dreams.