Breaking The Routine - Part 1

Kevin

November 14 2008 - Rajkot

We have to find means to stop them. We have to regroup and sort things out. We will come back!

November 17 2008 - Indore

We have improved from the last game. But we still need to sort few things out. We have to find a way to stop their big guns (Yuvi and Viru). We will bounce back!

November 20 2008 - Kanpur

It's frustrating! The matches are getting closer though. We can still fire back in this series!

November 23 2008 - Bangalore

It's not nice to lose 0-4. They are playing very well. We are not sure what we are going to do in the next few games.

November 26 2008 - Cuttack

We have tried all our tricks. They have simply been the superior side in this series. I think even 450 would be chased down by them.

*****

Chintu

April 10, 2000

Chintu's seventh standard exam results have been announced today. He has scored 73% marks

April 10, 2001

Chintu's eighth standard exam results have been announced today. He has scored 71% marks

April 11, 2002

Chintu has passed his ninth standard exam by scoring 72 % marks.

February 2003

Dad : Beta, how is your preparation for the board exam this year?

Chintu : It's going on as usual papa. I am putting in efforts to score a first class.

Dad : But Beta, is "first-class" just enough these days? Can you not put extra efforts and score high marks? After all, it is not every year that you face board exams. This is your chance to excel.

Chintu : Forget it papa, I have always been a 70% student. I don’t think I have it in me to score more marks. So I will be happy if I score a "first-class"

*****

Sandeep

10:30 pm, January 10

Hi Sheela, I am home! Sorry I am late. It was a really hectic day at office. I had loads of work. There is this big project with tight deadline. I guess it will be like this for 3 more weeks.

11:00pm January 16

I am really sorry, sweetie. I could not make it to your dad's birthday today. I tried really hard to leave on time at 6'o clock. But this project is now really tight and the work keeps getting hectic. I hardly get time even for sleeping. But its only for two more weeks, dear. We will definitely celebrate next month's Valentines day at the beach side hotel. I promise you that we will have the best time of our life there!

Midnight, January 25

Sheela, please open the door, honey. I know it is a weekend and I should not have gone to work today. But this is the last time I am coming home this late. The project is almost done. No more staying back from tomorrow- I promise. Please dear, this the last time.

11 pm February 3

I know Sheela. I had promised that last week would be the end of all this hectic schedules. But what shall I do? There is this "damn critical" client requirement that has come up. And I have to work on that. Please honey, try to understand.

11pm May 15

Pritam : I can't believe this Sandeep. Sheela and you were the perfect couple - made for each other. And you both loved each other so much. What is this "Divorce" news that I hear?

Sandeep: I don’t know what went wrong in our marriage, Pritam. Sheela always kept complaining that I didn’t have time for her. I guess I just got used to the routine of "Working late" so much that even when I didn’t have work, I used to stay back at office trying to keep my boss happy. I forgot that those intimeate moments of togetherness are very essential for relationships to work. Or else, life just gets mundane and boring!

*****

Anil Kumble Circle 10 am

Police: Hey Pulsar wala! Stop right away. You were over speeding. I am going to fine you for that. It is going to be Rs.200. for rash driving and Rs.200 for over speeding.

Pulsar Wala : Here sir, take this Rs. 100 bribe. I am late for work and have an important meeting. I don’t have time for all this now. Let me go! (hands the note and speeds away)

South End Circle 11 am

Police: Hey red-scooty girl! Stop there right away. I think you are still in school. Who gave you a vehicle so soon? Show me your license.

Girl : (sweetly) I am so sorry uncle! I am late for an exam at school and forgot to carry my license. Take this 50 Rs and let me go uncle. Pllleeeeease uncle

Police : (after taking money) Ok girl! Drive safe. Make sure next time you carry your license.

*****

Each of the above cases present to us how life becomes routine and we start accepting things as they are. When the English team lost the first few matches against India, there was still hope that they could come back in the series. But after losing at Bangalore, it seemed that they had accepted the fact that they had come here to lose all matches. It was routine for them. Same is the case with Chintu and Sandeep. They both started to believe that life was nothing but what they got all these days. They had started to accept the routine and never challenged it. They just existed for the sake of it. In an easy exam, Chintu could have scored high marks than the "normal" 70% and on easy work days, Sandeep could have got home early and spent a nice evening with his wife whom he loved so much. But they had just started to accept what life had given them before and never tried to change.

The same is apparent in case 4 presented above. We have grown so used to corrupt cops in Bangalore that it is now a way of life. Regardless of the offense that you are caught for be it over speeding/rash driving/driving without license, the easiest way out is pay a small bribe to the ever-obliging cop and get away.

It is dangerous when we start to accept "routine" as a way of life. We turn a blind eye to the problems that we face and never try anything new. The drainage in the locality, the traffic jam at the busy junctions, the frequent power cuts during the day, the fly-over/underpass work at signals that go on forever - all these become a way of life. And it becomes very difficult to change them once we get used to it. So how do we break this routine?

[..... continued]