Last week, I had a chance to come across a long lost friend from college days on FaceBook. He accepted my friends request almost immediately and we exchanged phone numbers too. And then we spoke for some time. The conversation started with usual discussions about college days and other college mates. And then he asked me about myself.
He: So what do you do?
Me: I am a SAHM.
He had told me that he is working in brand manager for a FMCG after passing out from an Oh-Nice! MBA institute, when we exchanged messages on FB.
He: Oh, so you must be pretty much free. Its cool na?
Me (in my head): Huh? What? Did you just say 'cool' and 'pretty much free'?
Me: What do you mean?
He: I mean, isn't is easy? Being at home. You have loads of time to yourself. You can take a nap, cook when you want, eat when you want, chit-chat as much as you like, and ofcourse shop with your husband's money.
Forgot to mention: He is unmarried . Well, I am not surprised WHY, by the way our discussion went.
Me: I am a stay at home mother. I have 2 kids and a husband. I manage my time more than yours. I have a schedule which I dare not step outside from.
He: But you don't have to work.
Me: Oh Dear, I have to work really hard, I just don't get paid for that.
He: You are getting wasted. You are so educated. You are just making your husband work for your needs. So typical of Indian women!
He was lucky that we were over the phone. He did not see the expression on my face. Now, you would ask me why did I not just keep the phone. I did not becasue I wanted to see how far this can go. My kids were away at school anyway.
Me: Enough of my boring housewife-ish life. Tell me about you. What do you do?
He: I am leading a top brand with a FMCG (He named a leading fruit juice brand).
Did I just hear drums beating?
Me: And...
He: It's pretty busy. My day starts pretty early, by 8 in the morning I have to be up and running. (I almost gagged of laughter...really...8 is early? So when I get up 5:45 every day, is that midnight?)
And then I am back home only by 8 at night.
Me: And friends and family?
He: Parents stay in some other city. I work 6 days a week and Sundays are so tiring that I get up late and watch movies on my laptop.
Me: Don't you get bored?
He: What is there to get bored? I am putting my education to use, earning good money, having a good life. Not like you, man! But tell me, how do you 'not' do anything??
Me: FYI, I manage my kids and my home which is impeccable, I write, blog, have an active social life virtually and otherwise, have friends who will come running when I want them to, manage my husband's hard earned money. And coming specifically to the kids, I teach them, take them for classes, go to their school and play basket ball with my son's friends sometimes. So ya, I am pretty much do nothing. I am actually wondering what do I do with my leisure time?
He: Oh ok, I got the point. You win. But still, you don't have a job. And that's not done.
The conversation ended with me hanging up at the pretext of picking up my daughter from school. I was left wondering, some people are so self absorbed that they fail to be thankful for the million other small things which make a house a home, a life more than ordinary, a family so close knitted that you don't need a blanket and have friends you can call your soul mates.
Labels: My musings