I like my home. Many many nice things have happened in our home. But before I tell you about the things that have happened in my house, let me tell you how it looks.
It's light, and bright, and has long windows down to there, and with nice open railings and a cozy balcony that runs the length of the house. It has a round bedroom and has a small window in a bedroom that is like a square porthole. It has
an atrium outside the master bathroom that has no floor and so it is a sheer drop down. But the grills are criss cross and they make funny sunlight patterns at 2 PM in the afternoon.
And the nice thing about my home are it's imperfections. Like you measure the depth of the alcove in the bedroom and buy furniture, but the curve wasnt uniform and so our hulking 4 door closet sits in the middle of our bedroom, rather than fitting neatly into the alcove.
Like the main door opens straight into the kitchen which is 2 parallel platforms, 2 alcoves, and a service door onto the balcony.
Like you can look and look but you will not find a power point on 2 walls of the living room. So good luck with placing your television, and your computer table, and your music system.
Like none of the ready made furniture you bought fits perfectly. Either the space shrank or the furniture grew 4 inches and everything juts out or is short by just those 2 inches to remind you that you are not the boss. The house is.
And since the home is on the eastern side of the 7th floor in a locality otherwise dotted with buildings less than 3 floors tall, we have certain privileges..
Like we have open views stretching till the Ghatkopar mountain on one side, Nhava Sheva Port on the second, the cloud-tipped BARC mountain on the third side, and RCF and Sewri on the fourth side.
Like we can see birds nesting in the trees, and we can see crows playing "King of the Roof" and we can see Parrots and Kingfishers, and Warblers, and Mynahs fighting and aimlessly roaming from rooftop to treetop to rooftop again.
Like we are insulated from most of the day to day affairs and from ground realities. No seriously. We only have to deal with them when we get out of the elevators :)
Like we can hear the wind whistle when the August cross winds whip up a heady portion of rain, thunder and lightning.
And when you stand in our circular balcony with the Sunlight filtering in at 4 PM with the breeze flowing across you from right to left, you stare across the christian graveyard, and the RBI quarters across to the BARC Mountain and you feel like you are on the bridge of a boat, rising and falling with every wave you encounter. And your knees bow instinctively, and your eyes close and you break out into a random smile...
Like It's just July 22nd and I have already seen 4 beautiful rainbows in a perfect arc - from Vashi to BARC :)
And a lot of nice things have happened after we have started living here..
Like we have found a nice maid who nags me like a Mother-in-Law, cooks up a storm in the kitchen, and has gotten me hooked onto the groundnut powder she makes.
Like my Father in Law now kicks butt at Street Racing on the iPod touch. and he is seriously contemplating writing a blog.
Like Tuesday evening dinners at Oro Cafe.
Like Saturday morning lazy Hazelnut mochas at barista, diamond garden.
Like late night movies at the mall.
Like the pestering crows who have nested in the coconut tree directly across from our living room balcony and now stalk me while they peer continuously into our home and caw irritatingly all day long (when it's not raining).
Like having miles and miles of Open Sky to look up at and being able to put your life's plans on hold.. for a few minutes at least.
Like not needing an Air Conditioner in the Summer.
Like late night carom games with my friend from the 3rd floor.
My home is on the 7th floor, and it has been christened "Taller than Trees".
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Energiser Bunny
And so at a client's office the other day, we ran into a Energies Consultant.
An amiable old gujju chap with a cap.
So he was talking with our client, and I happened to lean over my chair and smile politely at him. BIG mistake.
So he whipped out his book of souls, and turned his attention to me. "Haan beta, so what's your name?" "Pranay" "Poora naam batao bhai" "Pranay Srinivasan" "Achcha how old are you?" "31" "Date of Birth" "3rd February 1979"
All this while he's scribbling furiously in a foolscap notebook (probably not Sundaram Notebooks - ha!) and then suddenly he starts doing some awesomely complicated mental calculations to figure out which numbers are missing and which ones are not in my life.
I wanted to suggest that all I wanted was any 1 number with a lot of zeros at the end (without decimals, ofcourse) but he interrupted my benign dream with:
"Bahut spiritual hai; Ma Baap ka laadla hai; Pet ka problem hai (Stomach, not Dog); time pe khaana khaaneka; Paisa rehta nahin hai (SOB SOB); Bahut knowledge hai; doston ko paisa diya abhi tak vaapas nahin aaya; khud a paisa lagaake business karta hai" and as token confirmation he would merely look up at me with accusatory glances to check if I acknowledged his glances or not. A bemused smile covered my face as I leaned back a little in my chair.
"Achcha, shaadi ho gaya?" "Yes Sir" "Toh Biwi ka detail batao" So I told him... "Achcha Biwi ko gussa jaldi aata hai; bahut ziddi hai; knowledge achcha hai; biwi aane ke baad hi paisa aaya hai tere paas (I shrugged, "where is that money???" - Also DON'T TELL THE WIFE this); Pet ka problem hai (THE stomach, you DODOs, NOT THE DOG); time pe khaana khaaneka"
And then he asked for my business card... and he suggested changes. A lot of changes. He saw my signature and said that it looked like the signature of a confused man...
He then went on to talk about energies, about a sadhu who'd lived over 100 years without eating, about how Krishna lived for 356 years, about how Gandhiji and the British failed at talks because their conference was around a round table, about a 100 foot high pyramid in Bangalore, how the Aztecs learnt to build pyramids from us (No I'm just joking there), about how India had energies in the wrong places and how Kashmir has made India a headless chicken. And he promised that if we changed our energies around, it would be "A MIRACLE".
I was moved, I was impressed and I was deep in thought. So I accepted the proffered acupuncture hand squeezee thingy even though it hurt my palm like hell, and I focussed on fixing my bad energies...
I changed my signature, and I reprinted new cards; I started sleeping on the right side of the bed, and I hunting for square tables. I started worrying about where I sat, what I ate, and what direction my house pointed in. I started wearing blue on saturdays, and I chose colors that matched my element.
But all this took a lot of time, and I forgot to answer my customers, and I forgot to complete my paperwork, and I did not pay attention to my wife and I could not understand why I was unable to perform "A MIRACLE".
utekkare,
Pranay
An amiable old gujju chap with a cap.
So he was talking with our client, and I happened to lean over my chair and smile politely at him. BIG mistake.
So he whipped out his book of souls, and turned his attention to me. "Haan beta, so what's your name?" "Pranay" "Poora naam batao bhai" "Pranay Srinivasan" "Achcha how old are you?" "31" "Date of Birth" "3rd February 1979"
All this while he's scribbling furiously in a foolscap notebook (probably not Sundaram Notebooks - ha!) and then suddenly he starts doing some awesomely complicated mental calculations to figure out which numbers are missing and which ones are not in my life.
I wanted to suggest that all I wanted was any 1 number with a lot of zeros at the end (without decimals, ofcourse) but he interrupted my benign dream with:
"Bahut spiritual hai; Ma Baap ka laadla hai; Pet ka problem hai (Stomach, not Dog); time pe khaana khaaneka; Paisa rehta nahin hai (SOB SOB); Bahut knowledge hai; doston ko paisa diya abhi tak vaapas nahin aaya; khud a paisa lagaake business karta hai" and as token confirmation he would merely look up at me with accusatory glances to check if I acknowledged his glances or not. A bemused smile covered my face as I leaned back a little in my chair.
"Achcha, shaadi ho gaya?" "Yes Sir" "Toh Biwi ka detail batao" So I told him... "Achcha Biwi ko gussa jaldi aata hai; bahut ziddi hai; knowledge achcha hai; biwi aane ke baad hi paisa aaya hai tere paas (I shrugged, "where is that money???" - Also DON'T TELL THE WIFE this); Pet ka problem hai (THE stomach, you DODOs, NOT THE DOG); time pe khaana khaaneka"
And then he asked for my business card... and he suggested changes. A lot of changes. He saw my signature and said that it looked like the signature of a confused man...
He then went on to talk about energies, about a sadhu who'd lived over 100 years without eating, about how Krishna lived for 356 years, about how Gandhiji and the British failed at talks because their conference was around a round table, about a 100 foot high pyramid in Bangalore, how the Aztecs learnt to build pyramids from us (No I'm just joking there), about how India had energies in the wrong places and how Kashmir has made India a headless chicken. And he promised that if we changed our energies around, it would be "A MIRACLE".
I was moved, I was impressed and I was deep in thought. So I accepted the proffered acupuncture hand squeezee thingy even though it hurt my palm like hell, and I focussed on fixing my bad energies...
I changed my signature, and I reprinted new cards; I started sleeping on the right side of the bed, and I hunting for square tables. I started worrying about where I sat, what I ate, and what direction my house pointed in. I started wearing blue on saturdays, and I chose colors that matched my element.
But all this took a lot of time, and I forgot to answer my customers, and I forgot to complete my paperwork, and I did not pay attention to my wife and I could not understand why I was unable to perform "A MIRACLE".
utekkare,
Pranay
Sunday, July 18, 2010
How thoughtless of Me
And so today, under the unrelenting pressure exerted on me, I yield the stage to my friend, my counterpart, my alter-ego - the Boss's Son.
I have built my world and broken it down. Countless times. I have built my business, and earned my profits year after year. I have created financial models and I have fantasised about my life in the years ahead. I am a victim of my own ambition. I feel sand on my eyelids, and weights on my legs. I am sagging at my waist, and receding at my temples.
I broke the chain that held me and bit the hand that fed me for the curses and pain were unbearable. I have journeyed through the night, and above the clouds towards the glowing sun. I travel by plane and transit through airports. I love my life and I love my wife.
I travel ceaselessly, and I nurture and grow this tiny seed of a trade I have plied for close to half a year. With my visions blurring my sight, I set out to conquer the world.
I am master of my own destiny. And I am a slave to my own path.
I have lived on a beach and I have run on a beach with my children. I have swum the 7 oceans and I partake of the world's cuisines. My words linger with the masses I address and my generosity dwarfs my ruthlessness. I have seen all this and much much more.
I smote down all my avarice and I have lit up my beacon of hope. I know not the pain of the underachiever. There isn't that luxury to enjoy anymore.
My legs are tired, my hands are weak. My shoulders ache, and my voice is low. But my brain is shivering and my nerves are jangling. And my unceasing fingers exhort the treadmill of life to run faster. and faster. and faster.
I cannot predict what the future holds. But I have judged myself already. I am a marked man. In the sights of myself. I am the sniper and I am the mark. I pin myself under the weight of my own ideas and thoughts. For it is inevitable that I will succeed. It is untenable that my thoughts are unworthy of fruition.
I long for a warm blanket and a cold compress. For a soothing wave of blank darkness to envelop me completely as I await the cold harsh reality of tomorrow. But I am denied this every night. For uncaring to my choices, my brain processes thought.
And so I dream.
utekkare,
Pranay
I have built my world and broken it down. Countless times. I have built my business, and earned my profits year after year. I have created financial models and I have fantasised about my life in the years ahead. I am a victim of my own ambition. I feel sand on my eyelids, and weights on my legs. I am sagging at my waist, and receding at my temples.
I broke the chain that held me and bit the hand that fed me for the curses and pain were unbearable. I have journeyed through the night, and above the clouds towards the glowing sun. I travel by plane and transit through airports. I love my life and I love my wife.
I travel ceaselessly, and I nurture and grow this tiny seed of a trade I have plied for close to half a year. With my visions blurring my sight, I set out to conquer the world.
I am master of my own destiny. And I am a slave to my own path.
I have lived on a beach and I have run on a beach with my children. I have swum the 7 oceans and I partake of the world's cuisines. My words linger with the masses I address and my generosity dwarfs my ruthlessness. I have seen all this and much much more.
I smote down all my avarice and I have lit up my beacon of hope. I know not the pain of the underachiever. There isn't that luxury to enjoy anymore.
My legs are tired, my hands are weak. My shoulders ache, and my voice is low. But my brain is shivering and my nerves are jangling. And my unceasing fingers exhort the treadmill of life to run faster. and faster. and faster.
I cannot predict what the future holds. But I have judged myself already. I am a marked man. In the sights of myself. I am the sniper and I am the mark. I pin myself under the weight of my own ideas and thoughts. For it is inevitable that I will succeed. It is untenable that my thoughts are unworthy of fruition.
I long for a warm blanket and a cold compress. For a soothing wave of blank darkness to envelop me completely as I await the cold harsh reality of tomorrow. But I am denied this every night. For uncaring to my choices, my brain processes thought.
And so I dream.
utekkare,
Pranay
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Zen and the Entrepreneur's guide to Investor-gyaan
In his recent quest to start up my retail venture, The boss's son has been knocking on investors' doors for about 8 months now, and the false promises, and the high hopes and their super-flatulous gyaan is now clogging my senses and blurring my vision.
When we met the co-ordinator for a famous "Angel" Investing Network recently, he heard us out, and nodded his head quite wisely. He then proceeded to trash the industry we were in, and made pointed but casual references to the "big" deals he was brokering (or as he put it, 'mentoring').
So amidst his advice to take a super-large view of the industry (in his words, from 30,000 feet above sea level) and his warm offers for advice on taking on other investors if I found them, and the fact that "Your business plan is great, your attitude is good, you have all the blocks in place, but you dont have a long term cutting-edge in the industry. Yes you'll make profits but there's nothing innovative about this business plan..", I forgot that Investors fund fancy innovations that sit on their mantelpiece, they just dont care about a 5X return in 4 years now...
He then advised us to make a business plan, and an excel projection of a quarter-by-quarter analysis of the next 3 years!!! with the ways the money (if he funded me) would be spent, where it would be spent, and what the business growth and sales would be like!!! I felt like telling him that if I was THAT good at crystal ball gazing I would be Baba Pranay-Nath not simple Pranay Srinivasan!!!
Thats when I politely pointed out to him that his association could no longer be called an "Angel" investment network since their due diligence extends into years, not weeks, and angel investors are people who invest small amounts of money on gut-feel and an instinct for the entrepreneur to start up their business. He gravely nodded his head and said, "Yes, I know, We at XYZ Angels are very distressed by this turn of events.. We only invest now in mid-level and running organisations."
I wanted to drop a 5 rupee note in his outbox for the tea he offered me and which I politely declined, and tell him that if he didnt have the money, he could have told me at the outset.
utekkare,
Pranay
When we met the co-ordinator for a famous "Angel" Investing Network recently, he heard us out, and nodded his head quite wisely. He then proceeded to trash the industry we were in, and made pointed but casual references to the "big" deals he was brokering (or as he put it, 'mentoring').
So amidst his advice to take a super-large view of the industry (in his words, from 30,000 feet above sea level) and his warm offers for advice on taking on other investors if I found them, and the fact that "Your business plan is great, your attitude is good, you have all the blocks in place, but you dont have a long term cutting-edge in the industry. Yes you'll make profits but there's nothing innovative about this business plan..", I forgot that Investors fund fancy innovations that sit on their mantelpiece, they just dont care about a 5X return in 4 years now...
He then advised us to make a business plan, and an excel projection of a quarter-by-quarter analysis of the next 3 years!!! with the ways the money (if he funded me) would be spent, where it would be spent, and what the business growth and sales would be like!!! I felt like telling him that if I was THAT good at crystal ball gazing I would be Baba Pranay-Nath not simple Pranay Srinivasan!!!
Thats when I politely pointed out to him that his association could no longer be called an "Angel" investment network since their due diligence extends into years, not weeks, and angel investors are people who invest small amounts of money on gut-feel and an instinct for the entrepreneur to start up their business. He gravely nodded his head and said, "Yes, I know, We at XYZ Angels are very distressed by this turn of events.. We only invest now in mid-level and running organisations."
I wanted to drop a 5 rupee note in his outbox for the tea he offered me and which I politely declined, and tell him that if he didnt have the money, he could have told me at the outset.
utekkare,
Pranay
Travelling Observations
And so a few observations, local and national..
Like 10 Rupees is the new 2 Rupees on local trains. I have borne witness to the super-charming 2nd class travelling salesmen selling passport covers, plastic pouches, ayurvedic tooth-manjan, chinese ball pens (4 for 10 rupees!!), combs, wallets, and keychains for this magical sum, which currently does not even buy us the minimum Rickshaw fare anymore.
Like everyone is now using backpacks to travel to work. Gone are the pudgy briefcases, those Samsonite and VIP Black and Silver briefcases that held the promise of bundles of 100 rupee notes inside them, but when opened, revealed a comb, a lunch dabba, a hand towel, 2-3 newspapers, and a picture of god. Earphones, MP3 players, "DELL" backpacks that hold the promise of a super-cute gleaming chrome and black laptop computer, but when opened, reveal a comb, a lunch dabba, a hand towel, 2-3 newspapers and a picture of Bipasha Basu / Katrina Kaif / current presiding heroine. Yes, our gods have morphed into Bollywood goddesses.
Like Coimbatore Airport is now gleaming and all shiney. Like Surat actually has an airport where a flight can land from Delhi. Like Tirupur is now a district all on it's own. And you can now travel to Erode on a spanking new expressway without worrying about trucks running into you.
And some of the most interesting people I have met are while I'm travelling.
Like an Excise Collector in Vapi.. or the CEO of a Solar Energy company... or a travelling magician.. or the owner of one of India's oldest diamond companies..
And now my life will be a tale of small(er) cities - Amritsar, Surat, Rajkot, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Ludhiana, Ooty....
And there is much to learn in these cities.. And much more to observe..
utekkare,
Pranay
Like 10 Rupees is the new 2 Rupees on local trains. I have borne witness to the super-charming 2nd class travelling salesmen selling passport covers, plastic pouches, ayurvedic tooth-manjan, chinese ball pens (4 for 10 rupees!!), combs, wallets, and keychains for this magical sum, which currently does not even buy us the minimum Rickshaw fare anymore.
Like everyone is now using backpacks to travel to work. Gone are the pudgy briefcases, those Samsonite and VIP Black and Silver briefcases that held the promise of bundles of 100 rupee notes inside them, but when opened, revealed a comb, a lunch dabba, a hand towel, 2-3 newspapers, and a picture of god. Earphones, MP3 players, "DELL" backpacks that hold the promise of a super-cute gleaming chrome and black laptop computer, but when opened, reveal a comb, a lunch dabba, a hand towel, 2-3 newspapers and a picture of Bipasha Basu / Katrina Kaif / current presiding heroine. Yes, our gods have morphed into Bollywood goddesses.
Like Coimbatore Airport is now gleaming and all shiney. Like Surat actually has an airport where a flight can land from Delhi. Like Tirupur is now a district all on it's own. And you can now travel to Erode on a spanking new expressway without worrying about trucks running into you.
And some of the most interesting people I have met are while I'm travelling.
Like an Excise Collector in Vapi.. or the CEO of a Solar Energy company... or a travelling magician.. or the owner of one of India's oldest diamond companies..
And now my life will be a tale of small(er) cities - Amritsar, Surat, Rajkot, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Ludhiana, Ooty....
And there is much to learn in these cities.. And much more to observe..
utekkare,
Pranay
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Dream a Little Dream
And I have been away. Yes, for a long long long time. In really short-time world, that is.
In the real world, 6 months is nothing. But I've been away for longer than that. I've been helping the boss's son fight his battles. What is a poet doing on the battlefield, you might ask? Well, you see I'm a Darwinian. And rather than lie down and play dead, I figured it just might be fun to live out your dreams, rather than fold them up in frost-bitten wrapping paper and put them away in an attic.
We confronted our dragons. We chased our unicorns. We killed our elephant and we laid it to rest forever. We went on a crusade. We smote down dastardly thoughts and we fought the world without armour. We forged nerves of steel and we built our bastions around our humble positions.
We rallied the support of our inner circles. We honoured our dead and we upheld our values. We chose to be noble and we were inspired to be brave. We brokered a truce when a friendly hand was extended to us. We found happiness in our pumpkin patch and we tend to it with all the care that we can. And so We honoured our commitments and we never sullied our image. We gave back in greater proportions than we took. We never hesitated when blood was asked of our people. We shed tears and we displayed a united front. When the truce was broken and the faith was destroyed, we chose to walk away with humility.
And so first we pursued the mythical creatures - the chosen ones. We tried to gain the appreciation of the "compassionate" investor. This term, I fear is actually A misnomer, a tragicomedy of the wildest proportions. Before the demi-gods of today - they have conferred that title upon themselves by virtue of the pomposity emanating from their material possessions; a fraction of which they may bestow upon such exalted beings whose requests for fulfillment they may look upon with benevolence and compassion. They who inhabit single cabins within larger offices from whose mouth was born clutching a silver spoon; They who spent an eon glaring at a dull glowing screen from They who have become the rulers of the haves, and who implore the penniless to eat cake when bread is scarce.
And we pursued those "great ones". In their gleaming chariots, and their bright new places of work, we pursued them with bright eyes and a tightened belt, longing to be the chosen one who were able to realise the golden dreams of our life.
And we dreamt our dreams. Of living in alien rooms in foreign cities and becoming a denizen of HER world. we looked in from the display pane and we longed to be a customer. A valued customer in her brothel. We painted and preened and polished ourselves. We smiled coyly, and we glanced at them with intent. At first she showed us interest, she accepted our applications and she lovingly let us touch her skin. "Come visit me", she seemed to say, without a single lip movement. We submitted our claims, and we requested our slots from the pimps who grinned subserviently at first, and connivingly at last. We offered them our life, we offered them our minds. We bared open our deepest thoughts and our darkest desires for but a short romance with HER. We were not alone. We joined the line of suitors as they turned out in their Sunday Best.
Alas, we turned up one day and the brothel was shut and the investor had flown away. All that remained was a note on the wall that began with the words, "We regret to inform you..." We wept and wept. We drowned our sorrows in silence. Our world was at an end. Our hopes had been dashed. Cruel words and evil thoughts touched our lips and graced our mind.
But then we walked onto an open plain. And we stared up at the sky. We begged to be struck down by lightening, but we were asked by a grizzled old stranger to dig instead. So we dug and dug and dug. And lo and behold! We found a silver coin. We We chose our trade carefully and we forged new alliances. We unsheathed our skills and we re-examined our forte. And so we bartered. And we traded. And we have chosen to ride our silver coin, and ascend into the celestial heavens upon our silver steed.
Not for us, the ties of blood. Not for us, the spires of education. Not for us, the clinking of money bags. Not for us, the lucre of the quick fix.
For us, the heat of sweat and toil. For us, the daily run-about. For us, the dreams of being self-made and proud. For us, the dream of penning down our thoughts. For us, the dream of leading more young ambitious, yearning minds akin to the mind we used to be.
And we did not chose our path. Our path has chosen us.
Yes I have been away a long time. I was away meeting myself.
In the real world, 6 months is nothing. But I've been away for longer than that. I've been helping the boss's son fight his battles. What is a poet doing on the battlefield, you might ask? Well, you see I'm a Darwinian. And rather than lie down and play dead, I figured it just might be fun to live out your dreams, rather than fold them up in frost-bitten wrapping paper and put them away in an attic.
We confronted our dragons. We chased our unicorns. We killed our elephant and we laid it to rest forever. We went on a crusade. We smote down dastardly thoughts and we fought the world without armour. We forged nerves of steel and we built our bastions around our humble positions.
We rallied the support of our inner circles. We honoured our dead and we upheld our values. We chose to be noble and we were inspired to be brave. We brokered a truce when a friendly hand was extended to us. We found happiness in our pumpkin patch and we tend to it with all the care that we can. And so We honoured our commitments and we never sullied our image. We gave back in greater proportions than we took. We never hesitated when blood was asked of our people. We shed tears and we displayed a united front. When the truce was broken and the faith was destroyed, we chose to walk away with humility.
And so first we pursued the mythical creatures - the chosen ones. We tried to gain the appreciation of the "compassionate" investor. This term, I fear is actually A misnomer, a tragicomedy of the wildest proportions. Before the demi-gods of today - they have conferred that title upon themselves by virtue of the pomposity emanating from their material possessions; a fraction of which they may bestow upon such exalted beings whose requests for fulfillment they may look upon with benevolence and compassion. They who inhabit single cabins within larger offices from whose mouth was born clutching a silver spoon; They who spent an eon glaring at a dull glowing screen from They who have become the rulers of the haves, and who implore the penniless to eat cake when bread is scarce.
And we pursued those "great ones". In their gleaming chariots, and their bright new places of work, we pursued them with bright eyes and a tightened belt, longing to be the chosen one who were able to realise the golden dreams of our life.
And we dreamt our dreams. Of living in alien rooms in foreign cities and becoming a denizen of HER world. we looked in from the display pane and we longed to be a customer. A valued customer in her brothel. We painted and preened and polished ourselves. We smiled coyly, and we glanced at them with intent. At first she showed us interest, she accepted our applications and she lovingly let us touch her skin. "Come visit me", she seemed to say, without a single lip movement. We submitted our claims, and we requested our slots from the pimps who grinned subserviently at first, and connivingly at last. We offered them our life, we offered them our minds. We bared open our deepest thoughts and our darkest desires for but a short romance with HER. We were not alone. We joined the line of suitors as they turned out in their Sunday Best.
Alas, we turned up one day and the brothel was shut and the investor had flown away. All that remained was a note on the wall that began with the words, "We regret to inform you..." We wept and wept. We drowned our sorrows in silence. Our world was at an end. Our hopes had been dashed. Cruel words and evil thoughts touched our lips and graced our mind.
But then we walked onto an open plain. And we stared up at the sky. We begged to be struck down by lightening, but we were asked by a grizzled old stranger to dig instead. So we dug and dug and dug. And lo and behold! We found a silver coin. We We chose our trade carefully and we forged new alliances. We unsheathed our skills and we re-examined our forte. And so we bartered. And we traded. And we have chosen to ride our silver coin, and ascend into the celestial heavens upon our silver steed.
Not for us, the ties of blood. Not for us, the spires of education. Not for us, the clinking of money bags. Not for us, the lucre of the quick fix.
For us, the heat of sweat and toil. For us, the daily run-about. For us, the dreams of being self-made and proud. For us, the dream of penning down our thoughts. For us, the dream of leading more young ambitious, yearning minds akin to the mind we used to be.
And we did not chose our path. Our path has chosen us.
Yes I have been away a long time. I was away meeting myself.
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