Dhanyavaad, MSEB

Its been about 3 months since Maharashtra has been reeling under severe power shortage. I, along with several other mumbaikars have been on the “affected list” due to the frequent power-cuts.

People of this country have been known to express their views rather freely on issues that affect them(read vandalism and hooliganism , select occasions , of course). This case was no exception. It did not take much time for the “mumbling and grumbling about the problem “ among the people to metamorphose into a much stronger form of protest that would start from signature campaigns and evolve into “banner protests” against the apathy of the government.

I have always been a rebel in thought and action. Again, in this case I beg to differ from the sea of people in Mumbai.The power cuts have been a blessing in disguise ( for me at least).This I would like to explain by first givin you guys a little background of how things have progressed, in my life.

I first got a computer ( a home –pc ) when I passed out of 12th and it has been a long standing addiction ever since. My parents were of the opinion that a professional course (I am talking abt engineering here,,laugh ur ass off guys!!) would demand the need for a computer at home. Its been four years now and the computer has been more of a distraction than of much help!

Most importantly, it has successfully alienated me from reading books. The last time I read a book was the Google Story ( I admit, thts extremely poor frequency at reading!).I know I am striking a chord among many people reading this when I say , it does not need to be anything worthwhile on the computer to keep you hooked on to it for hours on end.

Precisely , why I say , the power cuts have been a blessing, they have compelled me to revert to cultivating that reading habit I had lost eons ago. Many of you may argue that reading an e-book amounts to the same as reading a book ( I am talking abt the hard-copy here).Again, I beg to differ, an e-book gives you the “find” option , a super- handy tool if you wish to skim through. ( a book gives you the index , no doubt, but only the keywords are listed! , and pray tell me, which fiction novel provides you with an index?!!)

Most of you might subconsciously agree that a computer takes away too much of your productive time. The use that this time could have been put-to can be realized only when there is a power-cut.. Naaaaah! Don’t gimme that crap about exercising self control, we are teenagers( not officially any more, but at heart, yessir!!) not hermits.Control is something , that does not come to us naturally.

So when such an “not under our control” situation such as a power cut props up , we are driven to scout for newer vistas for spending time in some manner …I did it by reading. You might have engaged in something better and constructive , you might also have discovered something fruitful out of your endeavours..
Do try to analyse your realization and then do tell me if you happened to reach the same inference as I have ( through this article!)