Wednesday, December 27, 2006

A step towards a better me...

I don't usually make New Year Resolutions. For one, I believe that if I indeed have resolved that I have to do something, I should start immediately and not wait until the new year. Secondly, usually my New Year Resolutions don't even last through January.

But now it has so happened that I have a new resolution - and since it is almost New Year, I have decided to call it my New Year Resolution. One that I am going to make sure doesn't fizzle out.

I have decided to be more systematic, organized and disciplined.

No, please, I am not that hopelessly untidy or disorganized. But there is a lot of scope for improvement. The problem is that I have never felt the need to be that organized, until now.

And to think the people around me are so magnificently orderly. My grandmother. Her Godrej steel almirah. It is such a pleasure to behold it. Her silk sarees neatly folded and placed in hangers - all of them folded to the same dimensions, no protruding ends anywhere. Her cotton sarees folded crisply, placed one above the other, in perfect towers. No Leaning Towers of Pisa here. Her almirah is a study in perfection. She even adds to the effect by placing a bit of sandalwood shaving, or some other sweet-smelling thing in the corners, and when you open the almirah, you get a whiff of the fragrance – such a treat to the senses. Ok, my almirah need not be that faultless. But at least I could have inherited a fraction of that attention to detail? At least as much as to prevent clothes from falling out when the almirah is opened?

Then my mother. She keeps her home and her kitchen spotlessly clean. The furniture is perfectly placed, pots and plants and flowers and curios positioned in strategic places, the bed beautifully made, the cupboards neat and clean, everything in their proper places. When she cooks, there is no trace of it even when she is in the midst of the cooking. She is that meticulous. As for me, you can see vegetable peels and flour everywhere, until I finish and clean up.

My father. Every document, every passbook, cheque book, every bill in place. In neatly arranged folders, in well-maintained and dated files and books. And it is not that he spends unnecessary hours on it. It is just that he is prompt, and precise. If you ask him for a certain something, he will get it for you in a minute. As for me, the less said the better. Check out this conversation, you will get an idea.

Me(calling him up): Papa, is my IOB chequebook with you?
Papa: Let me check. (Half a minute later), No, it must be with you.
Me: Ok, I will check. (There is no question whatsoever of wondering if my father might be wrong, and maybe he has misplaced it).
(After two hours).
Papa: Did you find it?
Me: No I don't think I have it.
Papa: Check again.
(Two days later)
Papa: Did you find it?
Me: No, I looked everywhere, its not there.
Papa: Check again.
(A week later).
Me: Err... ummm... Papa, I found it.
Papa: Where was it?
Me: With my medical bills.

I haven't inherited these qualities from anybody. I could have got at least a bit of it. But no. I have to rely entirely on my own interest and effort to be as systematic as these people mentioned above.

Or I could have picked it up from association. My mom-in-law runs a well-oiled home. All things in their right places all the time, everything done just so. S is also very organized. He knows where his things are, and he keeps records, and maintains files for documents. He is tidy, and dislikes clutter. He thinks he has room for improvement, and while that might be true, it is also true that compared to me, he is a whole world apart. He is distressed by how unorganized I am. He has been trying to bring some improvement in me ever since we got married - but how can he, alone, succeed in such a short time, where my parents, combined, could not for a quarter of a century?

So, I conclude, it has to come from me. From within me. Not for the first time have I realized the need to be organized. But I have comprehended the fact that it has now turned into a necessity.

So, by putting this on my blog, where the whole world (and more importantly, my parents and S) can read it, I am throwing my hat across the fence, so to say. And so, I enter the new year with hope.

A very happy, healthy and peaceful new year to all of you!

27 comments:

Prashanth M said...

Good luck with your new year resolution and wish you & your family a very happy new year...

ps: every year I have a resolution - 'not to make any resolutions' - and I follow it every year :p

Anonymous said...

Probably a watch of the serial sarabhai vs sarabhai on star one will also help. There is a specific character named Monisha whom you might want to watch out for :)

Anonymous said...

Well Monisha never does clean up after her cooking ;) Well Prof, All The Best :) Hope this resolution soon becomes a way of life for u too, as for ur near n dear ones...

Viky said...

Will this last till the new year??? ROFLing...

Jokes apart, ahem...its a step in the right direction. Esp if your clothes are falling out of cupboards and ingredients are found more on the floor than in the pans.

The biggest room in the world, my friends, is the room for improvement. (A couple of decibels louder, ladies and gentlemen, for Sidhu Paaji)

*pauses to laugh some more on finding bank documents with medical bills.* What did u have? A heart attack on seeing your balance?

And I disagree on S being unsuccessful. If I remember right (which, incidentally, I do), he did manage to knock off a few pounds of baby fat which you accumulated over all those years. :D So there!!!

But I'm still undecided how far you will walk on this road - what if I tell you to start by clearing out THAT old attic with books and old diaries. :? *raised eyebrow*

Anonymous said...

Shruthi,
Felt nice reading this post.
A place for everything, and everything in its place. That's Cleanliness.
I am sure you will be a very organised person before the financial year ends.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND ALL MY FRIENDS HERE.

Anonymous said...

whats the point if everyone in the house everything clean and tidy...i mean isn't boring ?!!!
Opposites do attract...may be that's one of the reasons S liked you?! or may be he thot he will change you ?!! Way to go lady! Dont worry abt cleanliness...its also a perspective like many others..just look at it at the angle u want :-)

Srik said...

Very good post and a honest retrospect. All the best.

Happy new year to everyone!!

Anonymous said...

Shruthi
I wish you all the best in your new year resoultion. Bellur has put u on 3 months probation to get organised in this financial year which will end on 31.03.2007
It is nice to read the discipline of your ajji amma and appa so all these should help in realising your resoultion
A VERY HAPPY AND PROPEROUS 2007 TO ALL

Anonymous said...

Prof,
A Small tip ...
Anything can just have 2 places for itself, one its original place & other dustbin.
I learnt it from a fellow scientist at CFTRI, Mysore!! It was simply great!!!
Have a great year ahead & safe one too.

Unknown said...

Good read!

BTW, i am also a careless guy who just keeps things @ random places but for my luck, i find it when required!

I never make any resolutions neither do i consider Jan 1st as new year! I just go on with things as it is!

Anonymous said...

yes I forgot to tell i am also not very organised but anything if you seach it will be me who will get it and not otheres and this will come at the end so we will have tuff time so many times
so I will tell my people both in house and office you always pick up good points from others and leave the bad ones so that you will be more organsied
bye

Anonymous said...

Even if it is u or me, one can not not change some of the habits or qualities we pose from the birth...one such thing is called laziness agreeing to the mistakes..its common.. we can change this to some extent for the better but not fully...

Let the 2007 will bring cheers in ur life..happy new year.

Anonymous said...

Shruthi
yes I could get in touch with people who went to see your Tatha.
You can inform him about this and also convey my special regard to both thatha and ajji. I am very happy our BEL people met him and they too were very happy. I will be pleased to render any help required in this regard.
please mail me so that I can have your mail id my mail id is praneshk4@rediffmail.com
sanjay's blog is not well since morning so I have posted here.
please revert

Anonymous said...

Happy new yr! And tell me if u do manage to keep the resolutions ! :)

Shruthi said...

Prashanth M, Thank you and wish you the same! :) I had that resolution too - until, of course, this time!

Anon, hmm.. ok, will watch it and see :)

Diya, :) Thanks and wish you the same!

Viky, you know, even before you mentioned Siddu, I swear I heard him while reading that line! :O
And how, how, how do you know about that attic? Grrr Grrr... that - I assure you, is going to remain untouched in a long, long time! It doesn't fall under this cleanable category :O

Supremus, then, here is wishing you just that in the new year! :)

Bellur, Thank you :) And wish you the same!

Shruthi said...

Anon, ah, nice viewpoint - very convenient for me :)

Srik, Thank you! Wish you a great new year too!

Praneshachar, Thank you! Wish you the same! And thanks a lot, will inform my grandfather!

Veena, Great logic ;) and you too!

Sandesh, good for you! ;)

Hyderabadiz, thanks!

Thenraj, but at least we can make an effort, right? :) Wish you the same!

Vinod, thank you and wish you the same! Will keep you informed :)

Anonymous said...

good that you appreciate those who are organised ;). How is the progress of your `new year resolution'? all the best. S is not yet successful, but I hope the learning doesnot go in different direction ;). Wish S too all the best.

I think your mom surely feels happy if you change yourself. Your hand writing is (was?) very neat and organised.... ofcourse if you remember what writing means ;).

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

You could write more blogs this new year so there's more of this stuff for me to read :)

Shruthi said...

Bru, different direction? Which direction? Did not understand :O
My handwriting is still very good (I think) - but that is not the only thing that should be neat, right? :)
And yes, considerable efforts are being put towards keeping the resolution :)

Anon, oh, thanks, whoever you are, that's a good compliment :)

Anonymous said...

Why is there no mention of your sister and how organised she is??

-Your sister (heeeee! :))

Shruthi said...

P, my dear, you are lucky I did not write how disorganized you are :D (were?). I seriously thought of writing about those clothes pushed into the drawer and under the bed and outta the window, but then I thought, paapa, why embarrass the kid? ;)

Anonymous said...

Shruthi avare this kind of resolution i have been making past 6 yrs but never succeeded in getting my problem resolved of the same kind.

Thank god all my financial matters are taken care by my dad in blr so no headaches in hyderabad for me

Anonymous said...

you sound like me, and your spouse sounds like mine!

- s.b.

Shruthi said...

Prasanna, please, hedarisabedi.. I hope I won't have to make the same resolution for the next 6 years! :O

S.B., :))

Anonymous said...

worthy resolution.Wanting to do it is half way alrteady there. So where are you 20 days into the new year?
All the best!

Shruthi said...

Usha, thank you for the encouragement :) Well, 20 days into the new year, I find that it is as difficult as I thought it would be - but I haven't given up (and have no intention to do so either)!

Anonymous said...

Shruthi -
Checking on the resolution. 10 months into the year, how are you doing?

:D :D
-Mythili

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