Musings (more like rants) - Random

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I have no idea why people (Indians) in the US crave for bigger and bigger homes. We live in a 4-bedroom, 6-room home with a backyard and front-yard. It's huge for me already. But so many Indians in our community have either sold their home or rented it out, and moved to a bigger home. Why this obsession?

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I have no idea why people these days put their personal goals and ambitions so high above their kids. A better job with a better pay (a CA state job with average pay but wonderful benefits, plus medical coverage and pension during retirement is looked down upon by MOST....my husband has a state job and I can't be more proud of him), a better/bigger house, a better education (= MBA), choosing to leave small towns (not due to employment reasons) because other places have better social events, better restaurant and food options - isn't it madness? These are all educated people with Masters' degrees or higher. Can't they prioritize better? After all, a child remains a child only for a few years....can't everything else wait?

I am in FULL support of women working (I do myself) but I try to get my work done in the minimum amount of hours possible, and we ensure one parent is with the child ALWAYS during non-work hours. We refuse work related travel (I have only traveled once in these last 5 years and my husband has traveled ZERO times). We may be one lucky and blessed couple, but I don't think people around me are less lucky.

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I have said this before on the blog, but I have to say it again. Personal conversations or phone calls take a lower priority compared to say, Facebook messages. I recently sent some pictures of my kids from a photo shoot to few friends and family via email. Even though every single person on the list saw them, not many emailed their response to me. The same people were active on FB commenting and liking others' pictures.

Phone calls are the same way. People just don't pick up the phone. Caller ID is a big curse, in my opinion. That feeling of just picking up the phone and hearing an unexpected voice on the other side of the line is priceless. I am grateful to experience that even now, when my relatives call me from India. If it's one of my aunts or uncles, I drop all my work and sit down on the couch to chat.

I sometimes cannot pick up calls too, but I'll usually call the person back. Especially if it's someone from out of town and not a colleague or neighbor who I would know does not have an urgent need to talk to me (if it was urgent, they would either text me or leave me a voicemail).

On the same lines, people living in the same town will ping each other, or call, or email, but not make time to drop by their friend's home. Why? And perhaps some don't like unplanned visits or unannounced visitors too.

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It boils down to this - as a parent, I find myself different from the crowd. My choices, my priorities and preferences, my way of living...it seems I don't always follow the general trend. And when I think some more, I realize that my choices heavily reflect how I was raised by my parents. And not that it should be any of my business how others live or raise their children, but I analyze, then rationalize. Then rant here, and then move on, thinking "To each one their own"! :)!