An aside

This is a personal aside, quite OT to MKTR or Marketing.

Today, the 18th of Oct is a very special day for me. On this day, 2 yrs ago, my little girl, Annapurna Voleti, was born. It is easily one of the most, if not the most memorable day in my life.

Suddenly, in one swoop, I was no longer the center of my world. It is a profound, powerful experience. Nothing I'd heard, read or seen could have prepared me for it.

Generational turnover had happened. No longer were we (I and Archana) at the cutting edge in the family tree, the young 'uns in our families. Someone younger had just come along. Ma and Pa were now, officially granma and granpa. The concept of 'home' and 'family' had changed. Peacefully and permanently. Call it a conceptual preliminary of life changing proportions. All my memories of that day are as if imbued with a golden hue. Miraculous is nothing.

I vividly recall my phone conversation with Dad on that day, recall my own breathless excitement and his solemn voice on this phone saying "Congratulations, Son. May God bless you and YOUR family." I was stunned. "Whoa, wait a minute..." So it ain't OUR family anymore? Something had changed for sure. Even 3 yrs after our marriage, I (and Archu) would instinctively think of 'home' as the place where Mom and Dad lived. That changed after 18-oct-07. Now on, 'home' was wherever the walls echo with Anni's laughter. Mom's first words were "Congratulations nana. Intilo lakshmi ochindi." [Ghar mein Lakshmi ayi hai, translated from Telugu.]

I changed otherwise also. Became more risk averse than ever. Was never quite a speed junkie but I would quite often test the 'unofficial' speed limits on US freeways - typically 5-15 mph above the official speed limits of 65 mph. That stopped. Became more cautious in my finances, in my health choices and while crossing the road. My risks were now no longer about what would happen to me.

Also became more patient, more calm and dare I say it, more happy. It was a happiness quite beyond reason and rationality - not the 'victory adrenalin' variety but the more grounded, sure one that wouldn't disappear if I stopped to catch my breath. This was happiness despite sleeplessness on a grand scale (she'd wake up every few hours the first few months), uncertainty & nervousness everytime she cried and so on.

It was easy to be happy now, I guess, now that my time, my priorities, my work etc were no longer the overriding factor ordering my life. Became noticeably less hawkish in my geopolitical and policy views. Also developed renewed appreciation for what Ma and Pa had done for me when I was that little.

Anyway, Anni (and Archu) are right now at my in-laws' place in Sikkim, since late September. They'll return sometime mid-November, after term 5 teaching is done. The house feels empty now. And so silent. I prefer spending time at school, nowadays. And that's become an imperative too. My laptop crashed on Friday. And the school IT department's help wasn't exactly inspiring. Luckily I take weekly backups, so not much in data terms were lost.

Anyway, this post has gotten way too long even by my own verbose standards. Am practically rambling now and its a good time to stop. To all those in the class who are parents themselves, my good wishes and good will.

Meanwhile, another day dawns. More work to do.

Ciao and cheerios.

Sudhir