When in Rome…

All roads may lead to Rome but you should know the one you are taking and what may greet you on the way. One cannot take a cycle on a busy route and blame the mode of transport and traffic for not being able to make it on time. Eyebrows will be raised if you walk into a temple in a party-wear and looking for South Indian delicacies in the northeastern parts of the country would hardly make sense. The matter of contemplation is not the disappointments we come across but the expectations that lead us here.  

A gentleman I know happened to experience a similar ‘disappointment’. A friend of mine, who has travelled to different countries, is settled in UK after marriage. She decided to take her uncle on a Europe tour. Hailing from a small village, he always wished to travel abroad. Apparently, there couldn’t be anything more comfortable than staying at a relative’s place abroad as our kin who has lived there can be the best guide.

However, my friend, who had played host to many families and friends, said her uncle returned unhappy. It wasn’t just the inability to adjust to food, weather and people but what upset the gentleman was the ‘Indian’ set-up that he missed in Europe. My friend told me how he demanded everything right from food to services like he got back home.

Such disappointments could be common to each of us at some point. Though a decision we take may be conscious but we might not have weighed all pros and cons before taking a plunge. It could be as small a thing as travelling from a place to another or a major one related to career or wedding. Many students who leave their native places to pursue their studies get disheartened when they find it tough to adjust in a different city. Besides apparent changes of food, weather and culture, one should be able to deal with the challenges that an outsider may face in an unknown city.

While choosing a career discipline, a student should be well aware of one’s likes and dislike. A science student cannot complain about technical and mechanical syllabus. Too much introvert person shouldn’t venture into professions that require a high degree of communication skills. One needs to be extra-cautious while making once-in-a-lifetime decisions like wedding. When a woman marries a man, it’s not just about adjusting to a different set-up of people and home. It’s about the mental make-up if one can get along with the set-up.

After all, everything boils down to choices we make. While making a conscious choice, we should be aware of what’s coming in its trail. Though age has got nothing to do with adjustments, youngsters are often more accommodative and adjustable. With growing age, one gets in to a comfort zone and is not keen to come out of it.

All said and done, life cannot move like a meticulously chalked out plan. True challenge unfolds when things don’t work the way we want and those who withstand the test of time stand out.

-KanChan