After a long hibernation! The first two months of the year was truly business focused. The run for top line and bottom line expectations, squeezed out most of the time leaving behind a few ounce that was wasted in reading concerning realities of my city, my country and my world.. Each provoking to think more and more! Just to drown in dark reality with every passing day.Concrete jungle makes you feel stuffy; solace travels make you feel insecure; every morning brings in technology to challenge sustenance that calls for fierce competition; pain and injustice calls for patience; just that mind looks for unadulterated fresh air far away from hard realities. Recalling Pari an all time unit of ‘fresh air’ for me!
Well Pari was an ordinary individual like you and me with a passion for smoking little extraordinary than others. He had a show full name but that’s how others called him. Several years back, I took over his responsibilities of an old engagement. We had planned for the transition. I had to do it right and hence was geared towards it. The day we got introduced he sounded like this would be a cake walk. After a convenient communication he concluded with a final note –
“I take few short-breaks in a day; we would work out as we progress”. It was much later I realized that this final statement was a very critical one! He had set the expectation but I missed the hint.
First day of transition, it was just a feeling that he took quite a number of unwanted breaks. In the following two days the feelings converted to believe. In a week’s time started recording a metal metrics. Yes, I take the liberty to mark him as a chain smoker. His choking needs to take few puffs resulted in deceleration of my assignment – was my forming judgment.
Over chit-chat with cozy friends shared the discomfort of such a takeover. The insensitive journey continued…as he had his choice to be a smoker, he had friends to join him in the smoke-breaks; he had Bisu-da’s tea stall to support his needs, more over he had free air to puff off a bundle of smoke..After all he felt choked with continuous work for long. Now what is long? – Could be a pertinent question. Formed a view - it depends on context and the personality. To some even months may not be that long while for some 15 mins may be long!
The project graphs were brilliantly red with occasional green in patches .But guess to render explanation of a red graph he needed smoke power. But world at my end was changing. It was two weeks in a row we had been in this smoky transition. During office transit, in public bus jostling with unknown crowd spawned one thought after the other on what I believed were strategic ones to jump and reach the end of this journey faster. But the next business day ended as one more day with a subdued acceptance of the situation. To all ears I poured these feelings, most said it was way of life – accept it!
The unrest in me propelled. Well wishers said all is not perfect in reality. It was one such smoke break and this time I also took a break to stroll down the office lobby till the coffee machine. ..Was blending Lipton tea bag into the steaming water when a firm voice from the back –
“So, how are you?” - sounded like a pleasant breeze.
“Great!” – I sounded over exuberant. Wanted to cushion my discomfort and portray a comfort feeling on my assignment. He stood a few rungs up my ladder and have mostly seen him in town hall meetings from far length.
“Is the transition over?” - I was not expecting him to have tracing this operation as I thought he had bigger things to do.
Shakily I said – “It is mostly done!”
He picked up his coffee cup and continued - “The little that is left would be only over once you take it up!”
Passerby on the corridor gave an angular look and I was relishing an open power association. Pari’s stereo break translated into a sudden opportunity.
I was about to throw the paper cup into the half filled bin, that he asked – “So can we say the transition is complete and you take up the charge today?”
The wish-list window opened up with a bang. Dared not to miss this opportunity to give Pari a real break!
He gave a power speech – “Transition empowers you with only information. But leading calls for self confidence.”
Back home on the same public bus travelled with a taste of fresh air. The compressed composition was not enough to deter the joy of being a young leader who just got to see a new world of responsibility officially published and accepted.
Each morning that starts with multiple red news, Pari syndrome ticks in for pursuit of fresh air. Wonder if a few transforming leaders could stand on varied corridors to strike a spark to boost confidence in all walks of life to value peace over pleasure.
Gyan #38 - Bigyan (Science) is just information, gyan (Knowledge) is inspiration.