Small towns ,breathe easy.

This time when I went to DehraDun, I felt different. The biggest reason was that I wasn’t thinking of my work back in Delhi and taking calls or looking at the Blackberry. I had quit my job and was relieved quickly and (though I hated the silence), I suddenly realized how important this small town was to me.

A month before this visit I had paid thirty two thousand rupees for a ‘4 day, 3 night’ package at Kanatal and gone back a happy man. Happy because the 3 nights in the hills usually calm me down and make me ready for the race to nowhere. I had packed much in the three days in the hills, to the extent of regimentation. Walk every morning and evening. Must sit in the sun. Must have a bonfire. Must have the right whisky, sharp at 7:30 PM. Must have ‘chicken tikkas’. Must play (for at least 45 mins) with my daughter. Must (try to) talk to my wife.

After doing everything I had put in my Outlook calendar (synced with my blackberry), with reminders 15 minutes prior to the event, I felt like a successful man. The three days had given us (even with regimentation) a breather from a stressful and make-believe life.

Compare this trip with now. I don’t pay for the day/night packages. I don’t have to go back to Delhi (unless I want to). I still have my dose of Whisky, but when I feel like and order the tikkas , or just walk up to Chawla Chicken and get some packed. I walk when it isn’t raining and I definitely laugh more.

I recently decided to move back to DehraDun. To me the decision was easy. It is where I grew up. It’s the only place I call home. I know the people and what to expect. I like the hills and the ability to make any drive of more than 30 minutes a ‘picnic’. I don’t need to spend much to have a good time. I can rent a ‘kothi’ for the price one pays for a ‘one BHK’ in parts of Delhi. I can breathe easy. No wonder people who grew up in small towns are really never at ease in big cities.

A lot of people find this extremely difficult to understand. Especially people, who have (only) a socio economic view of life and measure success by corporate titles and pay cheques.

Why would you want to leave a good corporate life in Delhi and a great career for DehraDun?

Boys from DehraDun go to Delhi to work and you want to come back?

It’s a little like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The successive levels of Physiological, Safety, Belonging, Esteem and Self actualisation needs are well established. Well, let’s just say, we sometimes move faster than one realises towards self actualisation and when you do its OK for other people to not understand. You know it, and that’s what really matters.

I had this recurring neck pain for the last 6 months in Delhi. Just realised, I haven’t had that for some days. Small towns breathe easy.