Right to live

My SSLC examination results are out. I got a good enough grade to decide what I want to do in my life. Well, thats what everyone says. The direction my life is going to take is dependent upon the decision I make. Public opinion is to take Biology group as I have ability to become doctor or engineer. I decided against my parents wish to take computer science because I sucked at drawing anything without a ruler :)

Thankfully, the school I studied didn't pressurize me to start working on 12th syllabus in 11th. I had a normal childhood. I use to come from home, play for an hour and then start studying. Since, I was the elder in the family, there was no one to compare two. No pressure to perform, except my mother crying once in a while reminding me about how we didn't have any monetary assets and the only way for me to get a good life is to study well. She was right. Once I ditched biology and history from my study cycle, I was awesome. I am happy with my choices and with my life and …

Lets stop right there. When I write my story, I want to write it in such a way to make sure that I look better than most of you reading this and that is my first agenda. The itch to compare us with others forces to me to lie about my choices. I have been able to see this in the past couple of years and I have been trying to correct myself. However, it leads me to the following questions.

Why do parents compare their kids with others? One parent claimed that his son should study well just because of the fact that his nephews have got good grade. Why doesn't a parent spend time in figuring what is son is good at then worrying about how his social status is affected due to the child's grade?

Why does a girl need to get married early? One of my friend who was ultra talented, had her life taken away from her just because she has to get married and have kids before she is 30. Now, you can ask me → “Isnt she happy with the marriage? The fact that she has kids tells you that she is happy”. Yes, the answer is she is happy, but that leaves us with a larger question that is not being asked. What do we need from our lives? If the idea is to be have kids, then well, have fun with your life. If as a kid, you grew up thinking about transforming human lives, making everyone better or lets say being successful in career and becoming rich, then how will you pursue that? Now again, you might ask → “well, what stops you from doing that after marriage?

Society stops us from pursuing a career. Society dictates that we shud have a two bedroom apartment before 30. Society tells you that you shud have a car and it also tells you that is ok for a girl to sacrifice her career as everyone else does it. It also tells you that you shud care about the dreams of your child once you have them. Society wants you be like everyone else.

The easiest thing to forget here is that society is formed by us. We live in the same society that created slavery, racism, and established the fact that girls dream should be to serve her family.

It is time to start asking why before it is too late. It is time to have a valid explanation for every action that affects our lives instead of being happy with the answer “That is what everyone does”. Have a dream, pursue it. When all is said at done, you can be happy that you achieved your dream or still be happy about the fact that you tried to reach for it, instead of being like everyone else.

Success can be born out of fear of failure, nodue to fear of society.

It is time that we start talking about the right to live our life the way we want to.