After reading the article by Alok Sir (Would you marry an Entrepreneur?),I was very much inspired to write this article, which I hope you will enjoy reading.
When I started this journey of “One Week Job India”, to do 28 jobs in 28 weeks through 28 states of India, I did not know how to explain this and convince my mother, so I chose not to tell her. Recently when my mother got to know about my crazy journey through a local Odia news paper, she called me and even before I finished my,’Hello”, she dropped the most crucial question in her mind “Who will marry you now?” She rambled on and on, while I was in an event for the movie Lootera at Taj Lands End hotel, Mumbai enjoying the glamour world of Bollywood-it was part of my 8th week job as a movie marketing executive for the state Maharashtra. I am habituated to such calls from my mother, so I find it more funny than worrisome. This is her favourite question-she posed the same question when I quit my software engineer job, and also when I didn’t take part in my placement process during MBA, instead started working on my venture idea, as also when I chose a rural activation project against a lucrative job. But One week job project was something different.
I understand what her perspective is. As all doting Indian mothers who feel that her boy should be ‘Well Settled’, she feels that I am ruining my employ-ability by doing different jobs each week. It took an hour long conversation to explain the whole project and the motivation behind it to her. I told her why it is necessary to spread the message “Discover your passion” while job satisfaction is a serious issue worldwide, how most of the dreams die at the tender age of 17-18, how people choose stereotypical paths and kill their passion.
Finally as I sensed maybe she was convinced I took a long breath of relief. But my relief was short lived as she again asked me the crucial question “But who will marry you now?”, “what will I say if the girl’s side asks me about your job?”. “What will I say if they ask, which city do u live in?”. I again took a long exasperated breath silently smiling to myself.
She read the article over the phone, “Photographer in Haryana, Market researcher in Gujarat, Hotel Manager in Rajasthan, MOUNTAIN CLEANING JOB in Himachal!!!” Haha, as expected how could my orthodox Brahmin parents accept the fact that I am working as a kudawala (Mountain cleaning job) in Himachal Pradesh? As she went on and on not pausing even for a second, I somehow defended myself (as I always do, I am smart at that!), she calmed down. I immediately described my experience in the Seva @Golden temple, Amritsar and she loved it. She warned me against doing any adventurous job like rafting trainee in Jammu during my 6th week and scolded me for my unfortunate timing to get into Uttarakhand as a poly farm worker.
At the end of our conversation, my mother asked me, “Do you believe what you are doing will be helpful to inspire others to chase their dreams?” I replied, “Maa, you know me; I am such an optimistic guy that once I proposed a girl and whatever she replied it hardly mattered to me. I already heard a big YES”. She laughed out loudly recalling the incident and hung up with the words which touched my heart: “God Bless”.
Few useful links about one week job India.
https://www.oneweekjob.com/india/
https://www.wishberry.in/One-Week-Job-India-16095
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E467aj2ZOI
