That incredible sense of pride

As seniors, we have our favourites. We mentor them, keep track of them, feel happy for them when they do well but the strongest feeling is when they don't do what they should be, when they give up what they have stood so much for which in the first place made them your favourite. You have that deep sense of erosion of something very strong, something that you felt that you could hold onto, for often these things are things that you have sworn by.

There have been some people like that whom I believe I have had an influence on. And more than anything, I want to see them grow into beautiful people, people others would look upto, would appreciate and tell their kids "See, this is how you must become" and more importantly, I want to see them ending up as people who stand for certain things like judgment, freewill, fairness and hardwork.

There has been one such Lad I like to believe I have influenced to stand for the right things. And he has done well for himself. I warned him when he was getting into B-School about what he was getting into. And he went there and cracked it, he got the biggest bestest thing that anyone there would want. Something like this is heady and can shake the very foundation that you stand on and I was getting worried that this was happening. People change and that’s good, what’s worrisome is when the core changes. That’s what scares the hell out of me.

I was getting the hell scared out of me. It was this strong feeling of despair that my lad was losing what gave him is greatest strength, shaken by the lies of the corporate world and opinions of myopic peers.

But I spoke to him today, for a long time, after long. And he has turned out to be such a nice lovely lad, the same boy I knew, but much clearer, much stronger and much more confident. And he can see through the same lies and opinions that have made many a man stumble. And today I feel this incredible sense of pride that he has turned out the way he has, and all I can say is "I am so proud of you, my Lad!"