The Walk of Life

We are a weird race that believes in conforming to set standards. We don't believe in individuality, in expressing what we feel. I guess because we're scared of being judged and being branded as abnormal. So we never live life the way we want to. And maybe that makes us force people to adhere to our beliefs, to these standards.

It's refreshing when you come across someone who is different, someone who doesn't believe in what's commonly considered to be appropriate, and someone who takes you as you are. It's great to feel, for a change, that you're not weird, that you can be liked without changing yourself.

And going by recent conversations with some friends, lots of people are feeling this need to break away from the conventional. They're also feeling they need to be less judgmental. As more of us rebel, we'll finally be a truly free race, not one shackled by our peers and the society. And we'll finally be able to breathe freely.

It's shocking how insensitive, impolite and un-chivalrous Indian men are. I believe I show them greater respect than they show to girls. There have been so many incidents when I've been pushed by a guy at a railway station, at a mall, on the road, the list seems endless. And what's amazing is they don't even seem to realize they've done something wrong. I mean, hello, in which world is pushing a girl considered OK? I remember lots of times when I've waited for a guy to cross. "Ladies first" is now passé; guys seem to need the special treatment.

Just today some guy crossed me, hitting me with a bag in the process. And then he had the nerve to turn back and glare at me, as if it was my fault. I mean, dude, just because you're a guy I'm not going to get scared of a stare from you. A friend of mine came back to India after a Europe visit. And she said the guys there were so courteous, she got a culture shock when she was back to India. And even though I've never been abroad, I still get a culture shock every single time I interact with these cavemen who've not learnt the basic etiquettes. And I end up wishing I was living in a more civilized part of the world.