Monday, February 26, 2007

Children of Men

I kept my commitment of the last 3 years of watching The Academy Awards, live! Now, if you are in India, you will realise that doing so isn't as simple as it sounds.... especially if you are one of those people who never bought into the "early to bed, early to rise... " deal.
Here, I sat in front of the TV all groggy-eyed in my Pajamas, with a cup of coffee abated breath as the live 'from the red carpet' coverage came on...and all the demi-gods and goddesses in their designers walked into the Kodak Studio.
I am always very struck by the class in Hollywood.
They were announcing the nominees for "Best Cinematography" , I think... and one of the movies nominated this year was "Children of Men".
The title just stuck in my head... my initial negative and not very witty comment was "Who else has children!??"
And then a small voice in my head told me to shut up. So shut up I did, but how does one become stop the stream of consciousness?!
"I can't be brain dead... can I? " Yes, I sometimes admonished the small voice.
Now, I haven't seen the movie and I have no idea what it's about. But here's what was going on in my head as the winner was trying to finish his acceptance speech before the music came on to shut him up.
It's probably about children whose parents were successful. Probably, they are talking about the kids of movie stars or presidents or big CEO's? And that got me thinking.
Who is successful? Who can we really say are Men of our generation?
Is it the person with the biggest car/house/jet/boat?
Is it the person with the maximum number of 'designers' in his closet?
Is it the person who has the maximum press coverage in a year?

Of course, all these actors are successful... they are wonderful, talented individuals who believe in what they do.
But then, do you have to be rich and famous and fabulous to be considered successful?

"Does that mean my Grandpa isn't successful in his life?" He is neither rich nor famous yet he is wonderful.

Now, my grandpa is 86 years old and he was an only child who lost his parents very early in life. He took up a job and retired from it forty two years later. Most of his education was on the job. he married one of the prettiest women I know.... had 3 lovely kids... equipped all three, with a good education... and retired many many many years ago.
I would call him a success... not in the way it's made out to be in the world ... He has no fancy cars and no Armani suits!
But here's what I know he has, he has tremendous faith in people and in God and in goodness.
He has this great sense of humour and a need to help everyone. He has decency and lives by a set of principles. He is contented.
And he has been able to pass all this onto his children.
This man with no money, no fame, no high tech gadgets, no so-called achievement (he never topped school or anything).... is he not a hero? A man if there was one!
So who are the real celebrities?

Everyone has children but it is the 'children of men' that really count.

Now, men to me would be people (not famous celebrity sorts) but yes,
extra-ordinary people, who had the courage to live their lives by their principles.
Men of character, men who dared to say " this is what I stand for"...
And who in their lifetime or after, could pass on some of this magic potion of integrity, honesty, decency to another.
People who helped shape another generation. People who showed their children through example how important being a decent, honest, helpful, genuine, god-fearing human being is.


Children who were lucky enough to have the sense to realise just how special these parents are.

It's not the money, it's not the gadgets, it's not about grades, it's not about a good job.... success is about shaping a new, brighter, more wonderful tomorrow in your own little way.
 
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