I was just having a random chat with a friend and discussing what crap the education system of India has turned into (what do you expect out of kids who have just passed the milestone called school and their happiness is instantly crushed by the whooping cutoffs?).
On the cussing spree, we realized that we have been asked about our career goals and ambitions for so long that we have become accustomed to answering it. And trust me, we all came up with amusing and innovative answers as a kid that would leave an expression like Rannvijay’s ‘I am stunned’ during Roadies auditions and an epic background score manifolds our pride.
I always said that I wanted to be a cardiologist and serve to humanity (epic music plays along). The present is much far-fetched from my career goal as a kid. Forget taking biology in class 11th, I never had an intense affection towards bio in even in class 9th except one chapter which the dumbest of kids will read with all vigour and pass shy glances to other students in class (yes people, run your dirty horses!)
I hear kids wanting to become cricketers, footballers or billiards champion (that’s a new one on the block but it actually does exist) and we all know that all such tempting careers reduce to hobbies and passions.
The one that grabs the maximum eyeballs is ‘I want to become a politician, crusade my country out of all evils and revive my nation.’ And boom! There could be no better answer to such a bewildering question. *Claps and bows kid* Soon this very kid turns eighteen, laughs at his goal of becoming a politician to root out corruption and doesn’t even care to exercise his right to vote (anybody who is smiling faintly and tracing back such sentences.. Yes! I am talking about you.)
I am pleasantly impressed with little kids wanting to become the next MJ, Mallika Sarabhai and Shiamak Dawar. Their moves, pelvic thrusts and somersaults can actually give the best of dancers a serious complex.
Innovation is one quality that we use very effectively at least when we were kids. Dexter’s laboratory was such an essential part of our life that we had an image of this child prodigy that we will turn into and meanwhile work on creating a lavish and a secretive laboratory like his. Know why so many kids are hell-bent upon becoming eminent scientists? Dexter is the reason. If you thought this isn’t weird enough then reminisce your childhood and dig out those instances where you screamed loud enough to let that second street neighbour of yours hear your aim of becoming a Superman with all the superpowers and an incredibly macho wardrobe (wearing briefs over pants? How else do you justify it? ).
Doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and economists are still a rage with the people putting up such questions with outrageously varying answers. I have always been someone giving exceptionally different answers each time I am confronted with such a question. From cardiologist to engineer, why on earth did I think about it, I have no clue at all. From engineer to fashion designer. Okay, that was the ‘in’ profession with huge glamour value attached and the answer is truly justified. From fashion designer to radio jockey. Which other profession could possibly be much more fun than this? Bartender? Well yes, hearing sob stories is definitely fun to a certain extent. Damn! I should have considered it.
From radio jockey to economics, from economics to English literature. What I am doing now is miles away from my childhood, adolescence and class 12th ambitions. Stop rolling your eyeballs people. That’s normal.
The best answer that you can slam these utterly curious faces is with ‘I haven’t thought of it as yet.’ I have this friend who always gave this reply with an indifferent attitude, even in class 12th (it was equally amusing, it just didn’t have an epic background score anymore, sadly). Salutes to her! You need amazing guts to piss people off who have such great concerns for your career since you were in kindergarten.
Shruti Maheshwari
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