Today, I went to Saibaba temple, did some work and came home. These days, I like to sit in a corner of Dwarakamai and think deeply. I ask myself if there’s a reason I should live long? A short life is fine. 5 to 10 more years though we cannot determine these stuff. This thought keeps getting into me. I lived for my parents all my life and I am happy about it. Maybe, my Sister and niece need me for long.
Earlier, I used to chat with a few after temple is closed but nowadays, I like to be back home soon as my Mom is not well.
The street dogs Browni wants me to pet him on his ears as soon as I park my car. Pasi was inside the gate and ran away for the night. I ensured my Mom had her medicines.
I am going through some worries these days and that’s why I am regularly writing on StarSai. Today’s article is my expression of anger on Indian parents who does not teach their children that “Life can be average”.
I was worried whenever I came across news that a kid committed suicide as they were not able to succeed in NEET exams or any other exams for that matter. These are beautiful children of this Nation. Their parents had no clue that their child might take such a decision.
Teach your children that they should be fine even when their life is average
Some children are growing up inside a narrow definition of success: high marks, one prestigious college, one secure career, a big salary, and a fast rise in life. When reality does not follow that script, they may feel they have failed their parents and themselves.
That is a dangerous lie. A life can be ordinary in income, uncertain in direction, slow in progress, and still be deeply valuable. Your duty as parents is not to promise children a perfect future. It is to give them enough love, emotional safety, and resilience to face an imperfect one.
During Thursdays, I stand in Dwarakamai doing some work in Temple here in Coimbatore. I used to give flowers to children as I feel it makes them happy. But I wonder how life will be for Indians 20 – 30 years from now.
What standard of life do you think your children will have with such political and economic scenario?
The old ladders to a stable life are becoming narrower, while the new ladders are still being built.
Even world’s biggest economies like US has problems. Sometimes, when my sister is on a video call, during Sunday night, I tell her many Americans are suffering. My Sister nods her head and she contributes whatever she could as a research scientist.
But what America needs is better politicians who care. Like India, even American politicians have become bad in the past 2 decades.
I searched for a picture infront of a Museum which was donated to the City by the Senate of the state. Those days, America had good politicians. Eventually, I only found this pic of mine we took somewhere in Badlands, SD.
Okay, here’s the home gifted to the City by the Senate! – Do we have politician who’s donating their home to the Nation today? Anywhere in the world for that matter?
Challenges faced by young Americans can help you imagine what your children might have to face.
Some of you might think that if you leave India, then, your life could be good. Partly, yes. But, even in the US, for a new graduate to settle down in his or her career has become hard.
Rental Burden
Harvard’s housing researchers continue to report severe rental affordability pressure: in 2023, a record 22.4 million renter households in the US were cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
-Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, State of the Nation’s Housing 2024
Why homes have become expensive?
In several American cities, homes that could have become starter homes for young families have been bought by investors and turned into rental assets. Large funds are not the only reason rents are high, but in some local markets they add powerful competition against ordinary buyers. When homes become financial portfolios, young people can feel that even a basic home is moving beyond reach.
Young Americans take longer to establish careers
A degree is still valuable, but it no longer guarantees a smooth beginning. Many young adults take longer to find stable work, change fields, accept work below their qualifications, or live with parents while they recover financially. This is not always laziness or lack of talent. It is often the reality of a more crowded and uncertain entry-level economy.
AI Impact
The owners of AI infrastructure, data, capital, and platforms may capture a large share of the gains, while workers carry much of the disruption, unless societies deliberately spread opportunity, training, and ownership more fairly.
AI may create new work, but it can also remove the first steps through which young people learn a profession: junior writing, basic coding, customer support, research assistance, administration, and design production. The danger is not simply that machines work. The danger is that the benefits of machines flow mainly to those who already own capital and technology.
Teach how to accept failure to your children
When we see data from world’s biggest economy, it should be a lesson for us to understand that for your children to succeed in India, in this crowd, it’s a huge task. They might have to accept several hurdels to settle down in their career.
Teach your children to learn again and begin again
Do not prepare your child only for one exam, one profession, or one definition of achievement. Prepare them to learn again, begin again, live within their means, ask for help, do meaningful work, and remain kind when life is not extraordinary.
An average life is not a failed life. A peaceful mind, honest work, loving relationships, good health, and service to others are also success.
Venkat
My life has always been average. Sometimes, Sai dreams are strange.
When I went to US, Saibaba showed dream to ask for iPhone from my Sister. Infact, I fell down during biking and got hurt in my palm and my mobile broke. My Sister took me to a mobile shop and asked me to buy a iPhone for myself. I told her that I don’t like to have expensive phones. I know my state of life. I will be grounded to this life.
So why on earth did I got a dream? Well, Maybe, Sai wants to see if I fall for expensive stuff. I have a policy of not asking my sister for expensive gifts for I feel it hinders my love on her. A billion dollars cannot make me happy. My Sister’s presence does.
