Weekend Coffee Share: Milestone

I don’t know why I am remembering the time spent in my school and college so much these days. The kind of moments I shared with some of my best friends were truly the most innocent days of my life, in fact in everyone’s life. 

May be the tedious office hours, the monotonous behavior and lifestyle and the cold shoulders even amongst so-called best mates is allowing us to remember the innocent times of the past, times which would never come back ever again! 

School days- What can be said about them? To add cherry on the cake in my memories,

School and college life was bliss!!! And yes, writing this statement, I feel that life has truly changed!!! The memories of my school life still sprout on me … Remember those unlimited stoppages at libraries to surf different books and making notes? But now the world is just a click away, thanks to our best friend – Internet! And what about those never-ending evening hours which we used to get after coming back from our school, dropping the bag carelessly on the bed – hours which were spent in calling friends from their homes and playing street games? Now one hardly remembers when was the last time we actually had a long chat with one of our closest friends! Some even don’t want to remember their names!!! Why should I call him, what would he think if I text him? Is it the right time to send a message to him! Questions are endless! Now we are hesitating in talking to that buddy with whom we used to share some of the deepest secrets of our life, whispering things in his ears and giving him swears not to disclose it to the other friend.

Milestones, We cross them every day without realising them sometimes. And I am not talking about the milestones that are used to mark distances on our roads. Today, these have been replaced with metal signboards that measure distance by kilometres instead. 

On some off-highway roads in the country, you can still pass by the old-fashioned milestones, but I reckon all will disappear eventually. But what about the milestones in our life? 

Are they marked only by the very defining moments – birth, graduation, marriage, first job, retirement, death – or do we also mark the more personal moments that have a great impact on our lives? 

At work, for example, some of us may switch jobs ever so often, or are regularly transferred from one department to another, that we do not really see them as milestones. 

In my more melancholic mood, I often go through old photo albums because photographic evidence is often a good guide to the milestones in our lives. But behind every photo, there is always a range of reflections that demarcates the real milestones that one photograph cannot reveal. 

For many of us, the natural progression at the workplace is to start as a junior worker, slowly working our way up to be a section manager, a department head, and hopefully as CEO one day. Some of us take the road less traveled, and we somehow are able to enjoy the richness of life that becomes part of the journey. I truly believe it is all about people, those who come into our lives by choice or by circumstances, that are the real milestones in our lives. 

Who are the people who have made the most impact in your life? Was it a teacher, a boss, a public figure, or just a homeless man by the sidewalk that you passed by every day during one phase of your life? 

Modern day society teaches us to be materialistic, so our focus is on monuments and structures. Even the name card we hand out every day is a material possession that focuses on our position more than our character. And because that is the focus, we spend a lot of time chasing things to uplift the position, in the hope that at the end of the day, that is the true definition of who we are. 

A common saying beseeches us to “use things, love people” but oftentimes, it is the reverse. The milestones I cherish most are not the ones about successes and failures, but about people who made a real difference in my life. They are family, friends, and even total strangers. Sometimes, all it needs is a casual remark or a comforting word to push us onward in this journey of life. 

If I could have one birthday wish I’d ask this, go out and do something for yourself and someone else today. Go for a run, go buy yourself a book or a fancy coffee and then do the same for someone else. Treat a friend to lunch, surprise your mom with a hug, or take your kids to the park. Let this day be a brighter one, not just for those celebrating a birthday.

Note: Alhamdulillah, thanks to all my friends who taken to respond on my facebook birthday. For some of them, I haven't spoken for quite some them. Thank for being part of my life.