Welcome to the land of the plenty!

I write this piece with great apprehension. If this ever gets out to the comrades at JNU, they'd lynch me at broad daylight. Well, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt- they are right, of course.

The title probably gives it away. Yes, probably after all these years, we've arrived. It took us some time. I shudder to think of what our fathers and granddads have gone through- no brands, zero choice in cars and not even coke (I mean only the cola and nothing else). No Subways, Macdonalds or KFC. Probably very little in terms of pre marital sex (imagine you're 28 and still relying on your hands!) and though they had ample compensation after the wedlock, I'm sure it was more of a perfunctory nature and not much fun involved.

Malnutrition was a problem then. "Doodh pee le beta"- the onus was on gaining around the waists. People used to play on the grounds- no, not just in school or college (which still goes on) but in neighborhood playgrounds. Chee! I mean how can you expect children of all kinds to mix like that? I'm sure that's why so many people use expletives (and in Hindi, too). We see hardly of that today. Sure, there are expletives in the American, but they are hardly the same as those crude hinterland ones.

Record numbers go to VLCC today. Everyone is trying to be on a diet- its honestly difficult. We even have Wimpy's. Burger King is about to come. Neighborhood playgrounds? you can play anytime on the computer. Why would someone try to fraternize with the neighbors when you can make friends with the whole wide world? And there's so much variety. The oldies had only cricket (Hockey and football in some places, Tennis for the fortunate). We have skateboarding, skiing, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, stealing cars, killing people- all without breaking into sweat. Literally cool.

Hands are also not so handy anymore. There are people willing to lend their mouths, who the hell will use their hands? And we have pills baba. Very effective ones too, without side-effects that plagued the generations last.

We don't need monsters to play our music. Now they come in Nano sizes. We get so much music in our cars now and now with a Nano car, things are only going to get a little louder. Jobs? This is where we rock! Engineering, medicine, IAS? ha! Anything can get you a job. You just have to have the right attitude! (by the way, there has been tomes written on figuring out what is right, and the unanimous declaration is the right candidate must not introduce himself/herself as "Myself...")

Our dads and grandies used to look at the skies for DAs (Dearness Allowances). We do the same, but for 30% pay hikes year-on-year. Makes people laugh that often the dudes start at a pay on which their dads retire. To the geezers, a career meant stability. Five-six, even ten years in one job was mandatory. I see adverts seeking people with 4 months of job experience.

Holding hands in public was taboo. Having a baby before marraige is taboo now.

Yet we are "frustated". I see no reason why not.

P.S.- Let me put all this in the right perspective. I count myself as one of the "frustated" lot (honestly). Rarely a day passes without me fretting over how things could have been better. All this in spite of knowing that very few (still) get what is written above or what I have.