Being Broke

Definitely an eye catcher of a heading. Any one would be hit with it in  a moment. How to avoid leaving Broke? Of course this is not in Aamchi Mumbai, or Downtown NY, but the sands of Arabia, Dubai.

The article came in quite some time back and of course, keeps on reappearing in the news every now and then, making you wonder, if there is some kind of a message or a reminder that is a flag to you. But jokes apart, very real, very factual and very necessary.

So very easy in a land, where every thing is available, for a price of course. And even worse, when there are 100's of ways made available to you to find ways to get what you want, irrespective of the price. Living beyond one's means is nothing new. The Nawab's of old did it. The Rajah's of old did it. Difference now is, that every one wants to do it. Of course the Rajah's and the Nawab's sucked the gentry to live their lavish lifestyles, one does not need to do that today, but then, the end result is the same. A point where you have to return back every thing that you "borrowed" to live a life of bliss.

Difference again, the Kings of yore, did not have to return it, in a society, one has to. It does always make one wonder, as to why people go to such extents to live beyond their means? Does a fancy car, a lavish villa, the need to go to an exotic country count so much in today's materialistic life, that living a simple life is like a curse?

I know so many, who HAVE to live in a certain lifestyle, not just because they are living in a desert oil country, where lavishness is all around (of course at a price), but some times, one feels, for many it becomes a matter of pride and peer pressure. I drive a saloon car, my neighbour or my cousin a Beamer or a 4WD. Do I need to follow? One lives in an apartment, with 2 Bedrooms, some of your family in a lavish upmarket villa in a high society lane. Does one need to go there, just to show that you can afford it?

Money no doubt has become more easily available today that it probably did 5 decades ago. I get on a average about 3 calls every week from banks offering money. Many cannot accept when I say, not interested in a loan and don't want one. But they persist, even telling you, take the money, invest in another country, and you can make the extra 3%. But then, I still gotta pay it back, Right?

There are probably 100 more ways to make easy money that there were about 20 years ago. And for sure, our demands too have increased today, than what we were happy with in the last 10 years. Each generation outdoing the previous one, we need more than what our parents needed, our children need more than what we needed..

As I went through the article (have been thorough it nearly 10 times now), I but cannot wonder. What is it that takes a man to such an extreme, that he has to showcase himself or herself per the needs of the society. Why can a person not be satisfied with what he / she is, rather than meet the expectations of what others want him / her to be. Of course, in private would rue that all this lavishness is at a price that is unaffordable, but in public, would never dare to admit it.

Fear of society, Fear of being shunned, Fear of being looked down? Is that worse than a life of accepting and being happy with what one has?

Reminds me of what Sachin Tendulkar told the kids when some of them told him that their parents want them to be Sachin Tendulkar. Simple Answer. Why can you not be U? Sachin never tried to be a Gavaskar, but was just Sachin. Why not us. Is that so difficult?