Has INdia really changed and become so mordern?

Haven't we done enough of this of late? Anyway, here we go again...


Yes, India has changed, and continues to change as we speak. Life in India can be wonderful provided it meets your expectations of what constitutes a good life. Whether you can have the best of both worlds there, is a matter of individual preference, as everyone on the forum has repeated ad nauseum.

What do most humans need to be happy? Financial security, a purpose to life, and a loving support structure. Wherever you find these is home. If one of these is missing, unhappiness reigns, be it in the most industrialized nation in the world, or a developing country. Infrastructure, malls, brands, festivals and poojas are not what we live for. They are incidental to life, not essential. They make life comfortable but they don't necessarily contribute to happiness. Billions of people worldwide lead contented lives in the absence of even the most basic amenities.

Think about this. Most people on earth are stuck where they were born. You are among the 1% on this planet who are in the fortunate position of being able to choose how and where they want to spend their lives. While you waste precious years agonizing over the pros and cons of where to settle down, life is passing by. Have you thought about just LIVING wherever you are? And I mean living deliberately, not existing involuntarily trapped beneath expectations of an illusory idea of life.

I have a very close friend from college. We came here together for our masters. Unlike me, who never had any intention of ever returning home, this guy is a consummate Indophile. He loves the food, the culture, Bollywood, the bustle and the chaos. He once showed me a scrapbook he'd made of this lovely little traditional home he wanted to build in India. But...he can never go back. He is gay. All his life he was teased and bullied for being effeminate, for having unmanly interests. He loves dancing and acting. After coming to the US, poor guy thought he could come out to his elder brother and find some support. His brother was so enraged that he disclosed his sexual orientation to his entire extended family. His parents flew down and tried to talk him into getting married. When he refused they disowned him. He loves India, and always wanted to settle there, but his father told him not to set foot in the country until he is ready to get married to a girl. So what does he do? Mope and whine? No. He has married a wonderful American man, and is very active in the local Indian community. He organizes Bollywood nights, cultural events, plays and parties. He hasn't given up on his love for India; he has simply adapted it to his current circumstances. Even now he dreams of an elaborate Indian wedding once his parents come around.

What I'm trying to say is, if you have a strong preference to live your life a certain way, then choose to make it happen. If your circumstances don't allow it, then accept it, and do your best to live the fullest within your constraints. But don't vacillate for so long that life forces your hand and takes the choice away from you. You seem to put an inordinate amount of stock into what your friends, acquaintances and even strangers on a forum think. Try asking yourself what you think. Decide what you want, then ACT on it.

 

Duplicate...

 

Does a virtual friend like your post twice to save you embarrassment? Nope. Only a real one!hugsmiley