Life Choices !

 On a chilly morning, while traveling to Leh from Kargil, I noticed a few labourers of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) at the heights of Photu la and Namik la. The temperature was -16 degree Celsius and those workers were on to their daily duties of road maintenance. Among those, I observed one lady (perhaps from the Central India) who was busy with her routine duties. Carrying a broom in her hand she was cleaning the road, of the debris that falls on the road as shooting stones and slides. Apart from the broom, she was also carrying a bundle of firewood tied to her back, perhaps to light a fire by the roadside for keeping herself and her companions warm amidst the chilly weather. I was awestruck and a sense of gratitude took over me ! What conditions would have compelled her and her fellow workers to travel thousands of miles to the harsh conditions of Ladakh to make a living, I thought.

Certainly, it wouldn't be a choice she made out of her sheer will !

Our lives are similar in many ways. Often, we have to make life-choices towards better career opportunities, better professional endeavors, financially lucrative positions etc. But, at what cost ? Being away from our dearest ones, our family, friends and the dwelling place we call 'Home' and  the 'Hometown'. Many of you who are reading this would be away from your home or would have been away at some point of time to make fortunes, better learning/ career opportunities, away from your family and loved ones for quite a significant time.

This makes me reflect on the purpose of human life. Over the past thousands of years of human evolution, one of the most stark advancements/ developments that changed the course and fate of the Homo sapiens is arguably the phenomenon of settling in. The relative permanence of a dwelling place and a sense of belonging.  Otherwise, we were similar to any animal species struggling for survival, roaming around the earth in search of basic life necessities including food. Perhaps, we didn't call one particular place as our hometown. The place we made a brief halt at, would be our home and as we moved on, our shelters changed and so the sense of relative permanence and belonging wouldn't arrive. However, we did move with our 'family', group, and tribe, so that the clan would always be together amidst all thick and thin, same as many other animal species which move in herds. 

But, as humans began to settle in, the sense of belonging to a place, a dwelling developed. Gradually, the societies evolved, the concept of kingdoms, polity and statecraft, nation-states began to take shape and the (material) standard of living improved exponentially. 

Fast forward to the present times, the humans are still on the move, again in search of better life-opportunities. But, such are the conditions that we leave a significant part of ourselves behind us to the place we call our home and hometown. So, which of the two situations is better? Having better career opportunities at the cost of being away from our families, friends, hometown, or, being on the move just like any other animal species, in search of the basic life necessities, but amidst the company of the people we call family, society and relations? Perhaps, we would never have a clear answer. 

Anyways, humans (as Homo sapiens) by very nature and genetic make-up are social beings. Though we arrive in this world as individuals, and leave as such, but, we develop attachments and relationships from the very moment we are born. From the very origin we become someone's child, someone's sibling, grow old to make attachments in the form of friends, relatives, acquaintances and partners, till we die again as individuals, but creating a notional loss to those whom we have attachments to. So, I can argue, that family is of more significance as compared to a choice with career opportunities. 

But, then, if everyone thought like that, perhaps we couldn't have the path-breaking and revolutionary developments both in the material and spiritual worlds (in the field of physical sciences, technology, and philosophy, humanities etc.) that changed the human world (the Homo sapiens) forever ! For a path-breaking development, someone has to take an initiative, often a life-choice at the cost of being away from their family, friends etc. But, in the end, it is for the larger good of the society— giving it back to those whom you owe.  

Then, the middle path, perhaps would be the brief stints. The brief away moments, the brief detachments to be back again for even stronger bonds, and armed with more resources at disposal, more experience, exposure, and wisdom, for the good of one and all ! It's all about giving it back to those whom you owe. 

At last, the philosophy of Vasudeva Kutumbhkam (the world is one family) is the guiding light. But, again, in that one family some members are closer and more loving, whom you have more attachments to. 

The woman who was doing the maintenance work at Leh-Kargil National Highway would also have made a choice to be away from her family, her home and hometown so that she could have more money at her disposal to be back with her family in her hometown for provisioning better life opportunities to them. The seasonal/ occasional migrations to be back at your nest isn't a bad choice after all ! A win-win for all. After-all, the birds after day-long voyage are back in their nests in the evening to be with their families, till they make seasonal migrations to other places. The  migrations of animals in search of food makes them more resilient to the vagaries of nature. The sightings of snow-leopards on the slopes of Ladakh in search of food during winters provides a win-win for all. The animal gets its food, the wild-life enthusiasts their sightings for life-time memories, and the locals in hospitality and tourism sector, a boost in their earnings !

In the end, I feel, perhaps, as individuals, we need to redefine success—not just in terms of career growth but also in maintaining meaningful connections, for life is not just about making individual materialistic accomplishments but also sharing the moments with our loved ones !

What do you think of it? Please feel free to share your perspective on it.

  (representational image generated by AI)