"In the middle of the night, train stops at a small deserted station, I get down to get some air , there is a cool autumn breeze and then I turn around as I hear the train whistle...I walk towards my bogey to board it again...but as I take my right foot forward, instead of climbing up, I fall onto the tracks with my face against the wheels of the train , I see them starting to move slowly and I get up immediately to get back on platform...but as I hold onto the edge of the platform , it crumbles down and brings down the the roof of the station with it. Then I throw a bucket of water on the rubble and clear out everything and get back in my bogey through its window."
"Really !" exclaimed Riya, "Sam,that is not only stupid but one of the most boring dreams I have heard of."
Sam disagrees, "Why? I almost died in my dream, but get back and sort of destroy the station and resume my journey!"
"Yes, but it is still a stupid train journey. You don't fly out of a burning building or walk on water to save the drowning people of a capsized boat in a middle of pacific ocean." Riya explains emphatically." Now lets get back to reality, our class starts in 10 minutes."
"So I am not a superman in my dream,but its still pretty cool."
"My point is that, its a dream. You can be a superman."
"hmm..."
Riya and Sam have been friends since primary school and have joined the same Undergrad School. Riya knew very early on what she will make of herself,she had planned and chosen her school and subjects accordingly.She also knew which company she will join to kick-start her career in investment banking.
Sam on the other hand, always went with flow instead of planning ahead, he is still not sure what he wants to do once he completes his under-graduation.
Sam was thinking about what Riya said the entire day. So the moment he spots her on her way out to home after school, he leaps towards her and spurts out, "Why do I need to be a superman?"
Riya knew him too well and instead of being astounded, she quickly recalls the conversation they had at the beginning of the day and responds, "Because if you are not a superman, you are an ordinary man and nobody's interested in that."
"Ordinary people are not interested in an ordinary man!"
"Yes,because everybody is ordinary and hence you need to be extraordinary. And everybody will be interested." smiles Riya, "Come on, I don't have to talk to you like a 1st grader, you know this. Get over your dream now, they are meaningless anyways."
"In my dream, I get over disasters and resume my journey, Isn't that extraordinary ?"
"No,everybody has hurdles and problems in their life and they continue to live it or according to you resume their journeys" laughs Riya , using Sam's metaphor. "So nothing extraordinary."
"So, How do I become a superman ?",
"hmm, tricky question." ponders Riya," Let me see, in real world we don't fly or stop the train with one hand. So you would need to excel at everything you do , outdo everyone around you, in your school, your job or do something first, that nobody has done before you and then you continue doing outstanding work and then people would be interested, you will get tons of money, possibly fame or power etc....This would be a real world superman I think because almost everyone wants to be this. What do you think ?"
"Are you trying to be one ?", questions Sam, deep in thought.
"Yes, everyday of my life."
"What if I become a superman but I am not happy ?"
Not interested to continue this conversation anymore, Riya shrugs her shoulder and answers impatiently, "Well, you become one, then we'll see."
"Will you be happy Riya, once you become a superwoman ?" Sam questions again, ignoring her visible lack of interest in this conversation.
"Yes." retorts Riya, impatient and in a hurry to end this conversation which she thought has been stretched long enough
Sam gets the message and nods thoughtfully.Then they both start walking together towards the bus stop. Riya was not sure if Sam was still thinking about his stupid dream, but couldnt help smiling at his ability to make such a big deal about a dream which most people would have forgotten quickly , much less analyze it philosophically and draw an analogy to life.
Then she couldn't help pondering over Sam's question while they waited for bus.And by the time she reached home she had thought over her entire life from the day she realized that Santa was not real , and from then on-wards her race to be extraordinary in her School, her ballet class, her tennis lessons. She couldn't remember anything she had not aced. She was sure at this rate she will surely get a great career start in her choice of company, and continue her streak.
And then she asked herself the question again, "Will I be happy, once I become a superwoman ?" and realized she doesn't really know yet.
"Really !" exclaimed Riya, "Sam,that is not only stupid but one of the most boring dreams I have heard of."
Sam disagrees, "Why? I almost died in my dream, but get back and sort of destroy the station and resume my journey!"
"Yes, but it is still a stupid train journey. You don't fly out of a burning building or walk on water to save the drowning people of a capsized boat in a middle of pacific ocean." Riya explains emphatically." Now lets get back to reality, our class starts in 10 minutes."
"So I am not a superman in my dream,but its still pretty cool."
"My point is that, its a dream. You can be a superman."
"hmm..."
Riya and Sam have been friends since primary school and have joined the same Undergrad School. Riya knew very early on what she will make of herself,she had planned and chosen her school and subjects accordingly.She also knew which company she will join to kick-start her career in investment banking.
Sam on the other hand, always went with flow instead of planning ahead, he is still not sure what he wants to do once he completes his under-graduation.
Sam was thinking about what Riya said the entire day. So the moment he spots her on her way out to home after school, he leaps towards her and spurts out, "Why do I need to be a superman?"
Riya knew him too well and instead of being astounded, she quickly recalls the conversation they had at the beginning of the day and responds, "Because if you are not a superman, you are an ordinary man and nobody's interested in that."
"Ordinary people are not interested in an ordinary man!"
"Yes,because everybody is ordinary and hence you need to be extraordinary. And everybody will be interested." smiles Riya, "Come on, I don't have to talk to you like a 1st grader, you know this. Get over your dream now, they are meaningless anyways."
"In my dream, I get over disasters and resume my journey, Isn't that extraordinary ?"
"No,everybody has hurdles and problems in their life and they continue to live it or according to you resume their journeys" laughs Riya , using Sam's metaphor. "So nothing extraordinary."
"So, How do I become a superman ?",
"hmm, tricky question." ponders Riya," Let me see, in real world we don't fly or stop the train with one hand. So you would need to excel at everything you do , outdo everyone around you, in your school, your job or do something first, that nobody has done before you and then you continue doing outstanding work and then people would be interested, you will get tons of money, possibly fame or power etc....This would be a real world superman I think because almost everyone wants to be this. What do you think ?"
"Are you trying to be one ?", questions Sam, deep in thought.
"Yes, everyday of my life."
"What if I become a superman but I am not happy ?"
Not interested to continue this conversation anymore, Riya shrugs her shoulder and answers impatiently, "Well, you become one, then we'll see."
"Will you be happy Riya, once you become a superwoman ?" Sam questions again, ignoring her visible lack of interest in this conversation.
"Yes." retorts Riya, impatient and in a hurry to end this conversation which she thought has been stretched long enough
Sam gets the message and nods thoughtfully.Then they both start walking together towards the bus stop. Riya was not sure if Sam was still thinking about his stupid dream, but couldnt help smiling at his ability to make such a big deal about a dream which most people would have forgotten quickly , much less analyze it philosophically and draw an analogy to life.
Then she couldn't help pondering over Sam's question while they waited for bus.And by the time she reached home she had thought over her entire life from the day she realized that Santa was not real , and from then on-wards her race to be extraordinary in her School, her ballet class, her tennis lessons. She couldn't remember anything she had not aced. She was sure at this rate she will surely get a great career start in her choice of company, and continue her streak.
And then she asked herself the question again, "Will I be happy, once I become a superwoman ?" and realized she doesn't really know yet.
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