Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Maturity

A very difficult state to attain not unlike nirvana - but no one knows what it means to be there.

Things that question your state of maturity:
1) Claiming that you are mature. Textbook Catch 22. As a close friend of mine who keeps insisting that she is more mature than me put it, this only reinforces your childishness. Obviously she is immature too :)

2) Being younger than most of your peers. You can be the cat's whiskers, the monkey's ears and and the wise owl look all rolled into one but your friends will insist upon ruffling your hair, pinching your cheeks and calling you a baby. It doesn't help if you have soft skin either :P

3) Throwing tennis balls at dustbins to test your aim. Highly questionable activity. Bound to raise eyebrows everywhere

4) Being mildly indecisive or alternatively fail to take a call when required to do so. It could be between two job offers; Indian or Chinese ; Pink or blue shirt; taking a car or bike and the likes. You fail once and boy they will never let you choose again sob sob...

5) Being delighted about little things in life like eagles running away from the rain or nailing a rat in Dada's room and being kicked about it or facewash that smells all mango like..Ah well you get the picture...

I guess maturity is the ability to laugh at yourself. Or accepting something which you want to overlook because it is unpleasant. Maturity isn't about being extraordinarily smart or intelligent. Its' more about not refusing to see something right under your nose.

Unfortunately maturity is the last nail in the coffin of your childhood and a rude wake-up call in an uncaring and scruffy world. Knowing your limits, accepting defeat, being realistic, wallowing in cynicism and sarcasm are textbook maturity.

Can you choose to give the maturity bus the quiet go-by? I guess not unless you want to keep being taken for rides...

11 comments:

Mastram said...

Nice post, granpa! ;-)

Megha said...

i didnt know u had mango flavoured face wash. still u kept stealing mine!!!

The mature one said...

'Obviously she is immature too'...I OBJECT!!! u have a long way to go babe b4 u can pass judgements on ur close friend's maturity levels:P!

The mature one said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The mature one said...

despite the obviously incorrect statements u make in the beginning, i cannot help but appreciate the last two lines of the post...a job well done:)!

Shreya said...

:) Like love, maturity is one of those things we all differ about. Like love again, it is pretty apparent when a person has it. There must be a science to it. We will discuss it one day - I have my theories as usual :)
And I don't think that maturity signals the end of childhood and the entry into a cynical uncaring world. It's the immature who paint the world in strokes of black and white. It is at times - rooted in incredible faith and caring to a fault.

vijit said...

I think you can claim to have 'maturity' when you know you can understand(not necessarily appreciate) perspectives other than your own. You could be the smartest person in the world and in a discussion, you probably always come out with the most potent arguments, but do you succeed in convincing others? I think when you accomplish that, and with disparate people, you know that you have acquired it.

Shrutz said...

It's overrated anyway. :P

Santosh (Munnu) said...

I guess you don't play "hand tennis" and "hand cricket" anymore. Nor would you name a gang FMLOW! That should be mature enough :P :P

Santosh (Munnu) said...

Boy, hadn't we moved out of Rourkela, we sure would have grown handicapped or something. I guess you know what I mean ;).
And since you seem to be on fire at the moment, please do pen down something from our school life and also something from you undergrad years of which I know so little. Though you have grown contemplative, I'm sure you haven't lost your flair for humour.

Megha said...

wish you had written smthn before entering the grand ol world of working people! will eagerly await your first post there :)