I'm Lucky

I was recently let go off my job. I was disappointed that I did not gather enough need from my employer to retain me. It was gut wrenching to say the least. Though this emotion lasted for a few days, there was precedence. I got too lucky. There were some hard lessons learned. I have no ill towards the employer who let me go. I only carry a sense of respect and humility that they gave me a chance to be of service to them, however short the duration was.

From the moment I landed in the United States to this day, it has been close to 4 years. The first 3 years was my successful pursuit of a ‘Master of Industrial Design’ degree. Phew, that was fast paced. The day I graduated, it felt euphoric. There wasn’t any graduation ceremony thanks to a raging pandemic. I thought I did my best to acknowledge everyone who played a role in my graduation. Maybe I didn’t. There was more to the circumstances and influences that made me successful than my sheer smarts, creativity, and arduous work. A lot of people aren’t gifted to have loving parents with upper-middle class affluence, to have peers that challenge you to be your best, to have friends who provide the shoulder to cry on in the time of grief, to have the environment that guarantees a certain level of prosperity. I am fortunate to have these. I have come from a position of privilege. I came here on a student visa for the sole purpose of education, to be perfectly honest. Yes. I did intend to find a job in the marketplace that educated me. To learn, is to really apply. I wanted to work amongst the best of the best Industrial Designers that United States has to offer. I still do. Last few days has made me more at peace with myself and my fortunes. I am not perfect. I may not know something. But I’ll do whatever it takes to ask the right questions to the right people for the answers. To increase the likelihood of success.

It makes sense that even to receive a work visa is to be lucky, since it is quite literally by a lottery. Although I may not stay here for long, I’m grateful to this country to have given me such a huge head start in Industrial Design. I’m grateful to my home country, India, for always looking out for me no matter how shitty life got. I’m truly lucky. If I look back on where I was 5 years ago to where I am today, then I do see a ten-fold improvement. I’m happy. However, I’ll always remain discontent until I reach to be the person, I see myself to be every 5 years.

It is all right to believe that ‘you are the maker of your own destiny’, however that is false scientifically and statistically. I want to acknowledge that luck has played and continues to play a huge factor in my life. I’m sure there are many others like me in this journey, I understand the pain and struggle it takes to get to where I am. Considering this, I want to spread my good luck to those who need it. Please feel free to reach out to me. Maybe you are a student. Maybe you are a company. Maybe you are a start-up. Maybe you are simply curious. I will try to be the best of service for you either as a human being or an Industrial Designer.