To B.E. or Not To B.E.

To B.E., or not To B.E.: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die to ............k! k! k! lets cut this crap out!

Flashback

Orientation day:

Mind in utter chaos.
Linguistic inconveniences.
Is it too late?
Has the bullet left the barrel?
Do time machines exist?
Brad Pitt shouts in his indomitable style,"Focus! Focus! Focus!"
Am I losing it or is that an overdose of David Fincher?

Present Day:

"Four years of engineering completed!"
You share this with a person in solitary confinement for the last thirty years and he does not even flinch.
You share this with your pet pooch and he is bored.
You share this with that Angelina Jolie's pic in your restroom and...nah! there are better things to share instead.
But you share this with that fellow engineer,not from your college or city or state but from some lousy corner of Bihar and even then,there is Magic.

Magic which highlights the joy.Magic which depicts the struggle.Magic which values those four years. Magic which respects those four years.Magic which understands the pain.Magic which binds all those souls as if they were always one.Magic which breaks barriers and reaches out.Magic which bursts at its seams.Magic which knows that there is Magic there.

The "TO B.E." Factor:

Have you ever wondered as to how significant the phrase "TO BE" is to us?Ever since the day I was born I have been advised "to be" so many things.My relatives advised me to be a whole lot of things which (un)fortunately I am not. My teacher advised(read ordered)me to be a "moorga"(remember that hand around legs posture that is so despicable and outrageous but a very common Indian punishment).Hell,even my milkman has advised me to be a weird bunch of things which I did rather not disclose lest it should spoil my public image and PR status.But this is not about those petty advises given to me.It is not about my teacher's fantasies or my milkman's figments of imagination.It is not about the structured innuendos and insinuations thrown at me.It is about a choice.It is about the simple things which make or break us.It is about structuring destiny and giving it a name....ours!

Four years can be seen from a couple of perspectives.

Birdseye perspective: Smooth sailing,utopian environment,eternal bliss, paradise on earth,one helluva time!

Snap back to reality!

Hawkeye Perspective(as in the one used by the third umpire and for LBW decisions):Technical jargon being hurled at you from every nook and corner of an echoing classroom which apparently doesn't have acoustics among its strengths.Equations being conjured up in front of your eyes even as they crack open the most inscrutable of problems on Power , Load and Current etc.Geeks feverishly working out even more devious and dubious ways of solving a seemingly easy problem.A closer look and in one minuscule grid of the classroom you will find me,lost!This is probably what it is "TO B.E."

I have always maintained that it is the people who make an institution and not the other way around.I could be wrong but so could you.All this is not just about a degree, its about the survival,its about the bonding,its about the sacrifices and struggles,its about those wee hours of the morning which get us going,its about those days of burning the midnight oil,its about character:the one we develop and maintain.

The "Not To B.E." Factor:

I know its "Not to B.E." when my neighborhood astrologer looks into my palm and wonders in amazement at how i got along this far with Engineering.
I know its "Not to B.E." when I flinch on being asked to repair those tube lights and fans.What on earth are electricians for?
I know its "Not to B.E." when the concepts of KCL and KVL forever elude me.
I know its "Not to B.E." when my five year old cousin cracks up everytime i tell him about the B.E. tag that supports my name.
I know its "Not to B.E." when I can find a dozen reasons to "Not to B.E." and have to choose the best few for my blog.

Although I proudly carry that B.E. tag around my neck I cannot help but imagine how genuinely (in/un)genuine (POM sir anyone ?),counterfeit rather, this entire affair is.A final year project which speaks volumes about the dedication,determination and hard work put in by ...... Pantech(this is my official acknowledgement of that life supporting,face saving, project making org).But what the hell again!The Lord works in mysterious ways you know.

And finally the "WannaB.E." Factor:

Nikhil Chinappa should be sued, shot or hanged from the nearest lamp post possible.I just so happened to see a program hosted by him which talks about how boring the regular jobs such as being a doctor,engineer and watchman are! He just committed the original sin:compared an engineer to a watchman.I mean on one hand you have the epitome of perseverance,paragon of perfection,righteous and virtuous in all aspects,the ever popular answer to this desperate world that is devoid of a hero and on the other hand you have a paltry,puny.....engineer.
I sincerely apologise if I have hurt any mate's engineering sentiments but I just had to say this.This is not to sway any aspiring engineer off his tracks or to glorify an unnoticeable "sherpa".It is to let all those "wannaBEs" know to build on what they believe in.It is highly essential that we all start living our own dreams rather than somebody else's.Its like living the life of that chauffeur who drives his master around in that slick new BMW.He knows he is leading the good life which can never be his.The chauffeur has probably driven that car many a times more than his master but at the end of the day it goes back into that garage taking with it all sense of togetherness and bonding evolved throughout the day between the man and machine.

Moral of the Story:

Back in 3rd grade,I used to simply love those Moral Science books which would try to teach us a thing or two about physical courage, Moral courage and crap like that.As a result of which,I always planned to have a Moral at the end of my articles.But,it would be Morally wrong if I became Morally judgmental on Moral issues which play with the Moral sentiments and Moral emotions of a Moralistic society which did rather adhere to Moral conventions than read some abstruse Morally immoral content, appearing to be Morally blasphemous and which could seriously hamper their Morally rigid way of thinking on topics which are of serious Moral concerns.

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause....

That indeed,my friend, is the Moral of the story.