Loosen up Noveau Riche(NR) !

It is wonderful to be rich. Noveau or not. Yet there is a marked difference in the attitude of parvenus towards their wealth and their possessions. You can easily tell they are NRs if you observe them closely.

Some dead giveaways –

You would find them splurging on a Rs one lac home theater system and on getting back home, trying to a reuse a disposable plate.
You can tell they are NR if the plastic wrapping on their car seats stays intact even when their car isnt’ new anymore.
In an ice-cream shop you would see them asking for extra disposable plates and spoons. A little extra doesn’t hurt you see?
When a big bunch of relatives land up for a long stay at his house the typical NR suffers anxiety pangs about imagined horrors.
Imagined horrors turn real when one of the relatives leaves the air conditioning on for hours together.
When someone places their dirty feet on the plush upholstery or their oily heads on the walls, bloody tears make their way into the corners of their eyes
And if the brat in the pack accidentally breaks the crystal vase, NRs suffer a mild heart attack.

Such is the plight of the NR whose coolness and poise is a façade. Beneath his chill demeanour is a bizarre insecurity about the future. He holds on to his newly acquired things as if a Cinderella curfew would suddenly turn them into pumpkins and mice one day.

In contrast, check out the attitude of the people I stayed with in Dubai.

Over a dozen guests staying with them at the same time with brats of all sizes making a mess of their place.
When we went shopping in their BMW or Merck, we gorged on Panipuri and popcorn with little worry about what we spilt on the expensively upholstered seats.
Guests were given free access to their wardrobes, accessories and perfumes.
Unlimited number of ISD calls were made from their phones
A hairstylist was arranged for every one of their guests to do their hair on the day the hostess celebrated her birthday.
Fresh bottles of evian replaced empty ones in the guest rooms every few hours.


Did they bat an eyelid for any of the above? Not at all? After all the mess we made out of their house, they urged us to stay on for a few more days and bade us farewell with gifts of gold. Frankinscence and myrhh was already offered in their palace:). What can I put this all down to?
Magnanimity?
Bigheartedness?
Love of the human race however dirty they made their carpets and mercks?
Absolute detachment over their possessions?
Magnificent Acting?

Most of the above. But above all, I realized that this level of tolerance and generosity could be attributed mainly to the security and comfort brought by “Old Money”.

Old money has given them the sheer confidence that the money is here to stay. That the money keeps growing even as they keep giving. And even if the money does leave them at some point, it would leave them richer by attitude, generosity and the joy of giving. Such is its power.

Yet there is hope for parvenus. We can never become “old money’ed” people. But we can certainly learn to share, give and love the act of giving. Learn detachment. Learn that by letting go, we are freeing ourselves. Learn that nothing is eternal, everything ephemeral.

Learn not to sweat the small stuff. Learn to loosen up !!

Elementary Tatvamasi

How do you teach a six year old where to find God? Don’t bother. She will teach you instead. From where does the rain fall to How many buckets of water are there in the ocean to Why do we grow old, the curious questions of my six year old have been especially trying on my grey cells. Yet, I’ve tried hard to provide answers that convince her almost always.

But last night, all ingenuity evaded me when she asked if she could marry Lord Krishna. I was stumped. “But Krishna is God baby”, I offered by way of a clever explanation to what’s impossible to explain. She didn’t give up. “As he is God, I guess I have to die and go to heaven to meet him”, she said.

I corrected her that she didn’t have to do that because God is everywhere and one doesn’t have to go to heaven to find him.

That seemed to make a little more sense to her. Nodding in agreement my six year old daughter declared simply “ Cool. Then I know what to do. I will look into my heart and find him.” ( elementary my dear Krithika!!!)

A weighty statement of ecstatic enlightenement “Aham Brahmasmi” stated with absolute conviction.

I marveled at the truth of the statement while reflecting that such innocence and knowledge is only possible in children. When we grow up, we tend to lose this realization and seek solace in religion and Godmen. We search for the truth in vain and remain tired hungry souls. We pray, we meditate, but doubt lurks in the murky depths of our soul. We need to be reminded of “Tatvamasi - The best place you can find God is within yourself”

My daughter’s simple truth has opened my eyes.

As for opening my heart to find God, that’s a different matter.

Moment of Truth

The deepest ocean
The darkest night
The largest heart
The longest tunnel
The hottest volcano
The swiftest wind
The fiercest storm
Cannot match the intensity
Of that blinding moment
Harbinger of light
On the dark night of the soul.
A moment,
Of truth,
Of joy,
Of peace,
Of abandon,
Of innocence,
Of harmony,
Of promise,
Of oneness,
Of sweet perfection.
I see you God.
Please stop time.