Autobiography in five chapters

Autobiography in five chapters

1

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost….I am hopeless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever  to find a way out.

11

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I’m in the same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long way to come out.

111

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in….it’s a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

 1 V

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

― Portia Nelson

I came across this poem in a Schmidt futures reference in a Nature article. Serendipitiously revisited same today. I’ts about facing failures, learning and finding our feet again. This is not only true of scientific experiments, entrepreneurship but also life. In my case this has been life. In first two jobs, no papers – no recognition, third job – papers, fourth job – papers and not the path wanted, fifth job – hopefully a new path ( walk down another street). I have been radically honest and curious and the posts are only for reflection and learning purposes. This is true of life as well. The job you have is the right one for you ( or the one you will get), the people you have in your life are the right ones for you just as they have been in past, one has challenges all the time. Sometimes we are not awake, sometimes awake and do not take action, we need to let go and find a new path.

I cast vote. I did not know anything about candidates in my constituency. I guess canvassing in this election has been lukewarm since so much unnecessary focus is on one or two leaders. Why should you vote on one or two leaders? one must vote on best available option locally. I randomly voted for one thought right ( may be that’s how you get married perhaps). I think our democracy needs to focus on local candidates and federalism. Decentralization is the path.

What has been heartening about voting – is turn out of people, my neighbor came from Amrika to cast her vote, my friend who is a paraplegic came in his motorized wheel chair with his mother, wearing a Ray Ban and big smile and told me – “I have not seen you since COVID times, saw many elderly in wheel chairs turning up to vote. I went with a small swelling and voted. I think people take their franchise seriously. We need better canvassing by local candidates. We need to focus on local candidates. We need to get out of centralization and focus on federalism. May be democracy will go back to federalism when people decide to do so. The vote is the path.

Every year civil services results come out. I also watch some topper interviews. They are fresh and worked very hard to achieve their dreams. This year topper who impressed was Srishti Dabas who made it in first attempt with political science as optional. I was once a candidate and path was not for me. I admire all those who make it with hard work. There is no luck. The right preparation, strategy and hard work. Seriousness ( Intensity) most of all. If you succeed it’s wonderful.

We all have our paths. Be awake. Iterate. Learn. Move on. find a new path.

This for today dear friends.

Sincerely, Suresh