What do you do?

When someone asks me this question, I sometimes feel tempted to tell them this:

I get up in the morning and get ready for Office.
I go to Office and come back home.
I have my dinner and spend some time with my family and go to sleep again.

Wondering why I am writing this?

You see, when I was a kid, I used to watch my Dad do this for years together, sincerely, and relentlessly. As a child, I used to convince myself, look Dad with only so much Education couldn't afford much but go to Office everyday, when I grow up, I would have studied a lot, and will do better than going to Office.

Today I am over thirty years, I had the education I wanted, but I observe even I am doing the same thing my Dad did and still does.

What alternatives do we have, can I say to myself today, Ok enough of work, I want to go somewhere for a few years no work, just go around and observe people, just travel, or whatever?

In the depth of it, there are these big questions in my mind I want to pose to you too.

1. What are you working for and for how long?
2. When would you stop working if given what you are working for right now in this moment.
3. If you have no need to go to Office as you have everything for the next few generations of your family, then what would you do instead of going to an Office daily?

I would like to read from you!

I'm growing old!

For literature folks out there, here's a bit from a very famous peom:
"I'm growing old,
I must wear the bottom of my trousers rolled!"

Let me narrate to you what happened recently with me. I teach guitar to a few friends in my leisure time. Some of them are youngsters who just finished their college. They keep requesting me to play songs from the latest Hindi flicks. I was amazed to notice that I hardly would have listened to the songs they tell me. I would not even know the name of the movie or the cast when mentioned.

I go back to my school days for a moment now. Half of you, I am sure, will share this feeling with me. In those days, I would know every movie up for release. Would sing along every song from all the famous movies of the time. What is more, even today, if a song is played from that era, I would surprisingly remember all the lyrics by heart.

What has happened to me now. Why am I losing track of music so badly. It occurs to me that this is probably the School. How we forget everything about our school. It is simply because of the friends at school and our enthu for everything that made us so lovely, bubbly, cheerful, and versatile.

Maybe it is Office and Home that occupies our time. Maybe we have forgotten those small little ways of enjoying our life. Maybe we have become too busy for all these things. Not sure which of these is the reason. For a moment, my life came to a stand still thinking about all these things.

Do these things occur to you sometimes? How do you folks react to this? What is your take on such situations? Would love to read from you. And those who recognised the poem on the top of this post, do share it with me. My heart will be filled with joy to know someone is reading literature even after a busy day's work.

My journey as a Technical Writer

I started my career teaching English to a bunch of students at a College. I then moved on to become a Technical Support Analyst. I am now a Technical Writer for the past three years.

Those days are fresh in my memory when my senior at University used to make me sit next to him and tell me what he does as a Technical Writer. He was sure I was only going to waste a few years by becoming a Technical Support Analyst. Looking back, I don't regret my stint as an Analyst. As an analyst, I had learnt the art of gathering requirements well; of understanding the concerns of a Client; of coordinating with onsite teams. My performance now both as a writer and as a member of a team is largely driven by my experience I gathered there.

When I became a Technical Writer one day, I was new to the field. I owe a lot to the team of senior writers who mentored me patiently for a few months.

If you are wondering why I am putting all this down, then I would sum it up this way. Technical Writer doesn't come to someone on its own. One must first develop a flair for such writing. Second, one must read up as much as one can to gear up for it. Third, one must be lucky to get good mentors. Finally, one must work in atmospheres that allow you to assimilate the kind of experience that you need to become a good Technical Writer. Not all of us are lucky to have a combination of all of these things. But a fair degree of all of these things are definitely a must for someone who aspires to become a good Technical Writer.

This write-up is dedicated to all those Technical Writers out there that have a smile on their faces even as they brace themselves up for this recession. My Good Luck to all of you!