Tuesday, March 8, 2011

And I say I am self made !

Happy Women's day to all the women bloggers and blog viewers..Of course , a day for women - a day for saluting the womenhood..

The topic I am going to write is not  related to women alone . This topic has been in mind for quiet a long time. It was on a  recent "bandh" day that this topic came across my mind. Every thing had to come a halt that day. All shops were closed. No vehicles on the road. I ensured that  I have enough stock of provision and vegetables so that I dont get into trouble on the "bandh" day.

It occured to me that there are so many people I am dependent on to move my life smoothly. Let me start with the beginning of the day. Of course , coffee is a must for me to  start my day .

If the provison fellow next to my apartment does not have enough stock of milk , then I am in trouble.Obviously , he is dependent on the milk distributor to get the milk packets in time. Milk distributor is in turn dependent on the milk factories and factories do depend on the workers and the farmers. If there is no dairy farming , I have to drink black coffee  every day ..So , I am dependent on all the above mentioned people to have a coffee with milk.

Water supply  in our apartment is partially dependent on water tankers. If they dont fill our sumps , forget about taking bath..If they go on strike one day , of course I am in trouble.

Breakfast is something I cannot skip .. I cannot have idly or dosa without getting the ingredients from the shopkeepers. Obviously I am dependent on the shop keepers and farmers to  have a good breakfast so that I can start my day with full energy.

The food waste accumulated in my utility area starts stinking  if the ladies who collect waste dont turn up .
I do owe a lot to the fabric makers and sellers who ensure that I am decently dressed when I go to office.

At this moment , I am recollecting what I learnt in my childhood. Air , Water , food , clothing and shelter are the basic necessities of my life. Mother nature has been kind enough to provide me enough air . I already talked about whom I am dependent on for water, food and clothing. Let me talk about shelter. I live in the 4th floor of a 14 storeyed building. Thanks to the construction workers , plumbers , painters and electricians  for ensuring that we have a nice and safe apartment to live in.

Who is dependent on me ? Of course my child and parents do depend on me. Why do they depend on me ? I am the single earner in my family . So , yes , all of us are dependent on my salary. What do I do to earn the salary ? I provide consulting in my company and yes , I do get nicely paid. What if I don't turn up in office one day ? Who gets impacted ? Does it impact the basic necessities of any one in the world ? Perhaps not. But I do get paid much more than the famers , the construction workers , the plumbers , the electricians. But I cant meet the basic necessities of my life if all the above mentioned people dont do what they do .

 For completing a day successfully  , I have to depend on so many people who are known and unknown !
But many a times we say that we are self made. Though I dont claim so , I am just thinking , can ever a person be self made ?