I am too old to hustle in the bustle

India is the world's fastest-growing major economy. The growth comes primarily from manufacturing and agriculture - which simply means people are buying more stuff and eating more stuff. 20- and 30- somethings, armed with higher disposable incomes, are upgrading their cars, buying fancy gadgets, dressing per latest fashions, sending their kids to expensive private schools, eating out more, and by and large, upgrading their quality of life. Dreams are being lived!

Me? I am 42 and I am positively too lazy for this dreams sh*t. Or maybe I've been there and done that. Hey, I am okay. I drive a Honda, I use a Samsung phone, and I wear comfortable stuff from a handful of brands. I simply do not hanker for more. I do not care that I cannot afford a Rolex. I am happy with my Casio chronographs. Even if I did have enough money to throw away on a Rolex, I would probably just put it away in a bank deposit. Honest!

The hustle and the bustle seem surreal to me - as I see people rushing about earning more to buy more stuff. And then, as George Carlin put it, buying fancy houses to put all that stuff in. If anything, I've been throwing or gifting stuff away. It's just sort of come over me to live light and compact. I do not have any desire to try out the latest stuff. I am happy with what I have.

So, consumption is positively not something I care about.

What do I care about? Living light and free. Freedom is a very big thing. But, freedom to do what? As I see it, the freedom to think, reflect, learn, and grow. Primarily, think. And, think anything. For example, what does it mean to be an Indian? What does it mean to be educated?

In a nutshell, I want to be truly intelligent, and not own more stuff. Sorry, but owning more stuff just seems dumb. I just want to own the basics. But, I want to be intelligent. I am not even sure why this has become a priority. Maybe as I have crossed forty, the brain is naturally trying to keep itself healthy and is prioritizing.

Or maybe my brain is telling me that I should not have to slog as hard as I used to and instead be more efficient in the business of living. More organized, more focused, and less chaotic. The focus is not on productivity, but quality.

How do I intend to be more intelligent? Well, for starters, I intend to read and write more. Read whatever I can! And write whenever I can. And, so, this blog post.

Thank you for reading.

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