Lessons that I learnt from Chevy .... Prior to I pursue my blog - let me make it clear to the readers that my intention through this blog is not to evaluate any commercial company (whether Chevrolet or Jeep), but my idea is only philosophical. Lessons that one can extract from simple life and events around. November 2012: the Decision It was November 2012, when I had decided to go ahead with a four wheeler, my first four wheeler indeed. Within given financial constraints, limitations and freedom, I worked out my budget and began my survey of all possible cars within a budget from 3.5 lacs to about 5.5 lacs or so. Almost all dealers were offering various discounts, and were friendly enough to offer a test ride of their vehicles. A very attractive showroom, friendly staff, elegant ambiance, neat and clean showroom and above all - a very smooth test ride. I was done with my decision - yes, I am going for CHEVROLET SPARK 1.0 LT - Petrol. I never repented for my decision later. Amazing car it was, it is...and it will be.... My Love Affair with My Chevrolet SPARK I must not boost myself, but still - I am told that I often maintain all my vehicles quite neatly and with utmost care. Same was the case with my Spark. Ever since, I bought it - I cared it like anything. It never troubled me. I had full appreciation for Deedi Motors (Chevrolet), and if given a chance, I may give 5/5 stars for their servicing. Different persons may have different views and opinion about Deedi Motors, but they attended to most minor thing as well in detail and all servicing of Spark was worth. Every time, when I took back my car after servicing, I felt like I've once again bought a new car. Smooth ride was an inherent quality of Spark, and it remained integral all through. I don't ride car for long drives too often. Probably, the longest car ride was up to Kanyakumari, Thenmala, or Varkala, or Ponmudi. I would love to go for more long rides, but somehow... I've traveled up to Cochin from Trivandrum in my bike, but did not go for so long rides in Spark. Still, it was superb car. Almost all alternate weekends, I will spend 20 to 30 minutes in our basement washing my Spark. Deedi Motors (Chevrolet) has a strong marketing skills and they are quite sincere and prompt in reminding their customers about servicing date and taking a date for booking of car. In this way, I was in deep love with my Spark as well as the Deedi Motors, who were carrying out servicing of Spark. When my spouse was conceived and delivered "Chinmay", all through my Spark was our companion. Ever since, Chinmay came in his mother's womb, he traveled in this Spark. Thus, my love affair with Spark was very deep. Initially, Chevrolet has promised 3 years warranty, and just before the warranty period was over, they offered Extended Warranty for yet another two years, which I readily agreed and accepted. So my Spark was having a consistent servicing and maintenance. And my love affair continued. The Lesson I took from this love affair was like this - In all our human relations too, you take care of other person's feelings and need, and the other person too will take care of you. I took care of my Spark, and it took care of me. That was the strength of our love affair. But we can not keep same analogy of Love Affair for Humans. Why ? It reminds me of my father's favorite quote (adopted from George Bernard Shaw). HE often used to say: "YOU PICK-UP A STARVING DOG FROM A STREET AND FEED HIM, HE WILL NOT BITE YOU, AND THAT IS THE PRINCIPAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DOG AND HUMAN". Well, rest is up to us to extract lessons from it. But, in my case with Spark - we both took care of each other without any pit or fall. Dense love indeed. Nothing is Permanent, Tough, but its a Fact Some decisions are taken out of blue. Death comes unknowingly. There are so many things in this life, which comes all of a sudden. So was the decision of General Motors to stop their sales in India. Click Here to see News Coverage on "Fall of Chevrolet in India" - 1 Click Here to see News Coverage on "Fall of Chevrolet in India" - 2 Click Here to see News Coverage on "Fall of Chevrolet in India" - 3 All of a sudden, GM decided to make an exit from the Indian market, leaving behind a huge market. The car owners of Chevrolet were left blank and very little was known - what next ? While I felt sorry for the Chevrolet Customers (myself being one), I felt more sorry for the employees of GM in India. What would happen to their jobs ? Very little was known to them as well. But is it not the case with all the jobs ? Even Government jobs are not permanent. I am a Government employee and my appointment letter states - "President of India is pleased to appoint me ...", and, "I am temporarily posted at.... ". That means, whenever the President of India takes away his pleasure, my job is gone. Nothing in this world is eternal. Collapse of GM led to uncertainties on the employment of Chevrolet in India. Those who were loyal to Chevrolet in jobs, were forced to look for opportunities elsewhere. It also meant that - JOB anywhere is not guaranteed, but OPPORTUNITIES are. Our Chevrolet Showroom gradually started its transition. And now, we have a JEEP showroom at the same place under the banner of Deedi Motors. Isn't is quite eventful ? Hard Working Job Seeker Finds Job Easily Though Chevrolet stopped its sales in India, they are continuing servicing of their cars and have promised to continue delivering spare parts of Chevrolet in coming years. Two months back, when I went to Old Chevrolet showroom, it was emotional to see a new showroom under the banner of Deedi Motors. They took up the Fiat and Jeep sales, and came up with different brand cars in the same old show room. The entire setup was changed, though some employees were retained, I found entirely new group of persons. A few old employees were still there, but now they are working for a different company, so naturally they will be marketing for their new company. Then, I asked myself - What am I supposed to learn from all these ? It gave me a lesson that - true hard working person and a genuine job seeker will easily be able to fetch a job. Hard work may go unnoticed, but it pays back, and it pays back in right time. An honest employee must work towards betterment of his/her employer. For old employees, their employer got changed, and they also need to change with time. Probably, we must not be too rigid in our employment. It is more important - what an employer is looking from you, and what we need becomes secondary. So I learnt - nothing is permanent here. Those who are speaking too good for their company, may not endorse their own views, if they change their employment. There was yet another angle to the "rise and fall of Chevrolet". Now the servicing centre of Chevrolet is moved to rearside of Jeep showroom. Once upon a time, Chevrolet had their entire kingdom in this showroom and workshop, but now they are shrinked to a smaller area. It is because of change, inevitable change. Probably, nobody must take their lifestyle for granted. Today, we may have too much money. Or other way round, today we may be living in very much poverty. Either of this status is not permanent. Poverty and Richness must not define our identity. Our true identity is eternal. We will never be weighted by our valuables. In this world, nobody is loved for their valuables. Sometimes, the world around you may provide you an artificial respect, but it is temporary. Wealthy people may earn respect whenever they have wealth. But a person with true values will earn respect forever, eternal respect. Therefore, in this life, we must not go too much behind acquiring valuables, money, wealth..... This all will evaporate one day. But our eternal soul carries values, and unless we keep upgrading our values, keep garnishing our values towards betterment of society and poor people, we can't sustain for long. In a very sudden way, all of a sudden our life can come to an end. What will we leave behind ? And what will we carry with us ? Answer to both the above questions is - NOTHING ? But, we will be forever remembered for what we gave to this Society. And that lies on our inner values, and not the valuables. DISCLAIMER: Dear Readers, I've written this article purely on philosophical basis, and this article has nothing to do with either Chevrolet or any other company. Reader may please read this article with just a passion toward philosophy and respect the message rather than the words. Hope you will like this blog.
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Hero Bicycle (1980s) Kinetic Boss Bajaj Discover Yamaha SS 125 Suzuki Hayate EP Chevrolet Spark Few days ago, when I was meditating to control the flow of emotional thoughts, I remembered a very heart-touching speech of HH Radhanath Swami Ji, wherein he expressed that - WE ARE JUST THE CARE-TAKERS.
In this world, we earn several valuables, but we must never forget that we are just the care-takers. Because, we can never own the valuables, but we must try to own the values. Our values are most precious than the valuables. Whatever belongs to you today, may probably will belong to somebody else tomorrow. These sayings are read by us many times in Bhagvath Gita. A couple of days back, I sold my "Chevrolet Spark" to a very genuine person, and with this deal, my so-called love affair with Chevrolet Spark came to an end. But it was not any end. It was just a process. God made me a caretaker of Chevrolet Spark for few years, and during the process, I enjoyed every bit of its ride. In a span of about five and half years, I took care of this car like anything. Whether interior or exterior, I attended to all its needs. Thanks a million to A-class servicing by Chevrolet (Deedi Motors). The deal can be linked with yet another fact, and that is - upgradation. I wanted to upgrade. More over, the so-called "RISE AND FALL OF CHEVROLET" also was an inevitable factor. But during the journey from 2012 to 2018, this car literally became my identity. Most of my friends will easily recognize me through this car. Probably, this is a fact for all others too. More than our own identity, sometimes our cars, bikes, computers, sitting room becomes our identity. We are familiar to refer to inanimate objects with humans. For example, this is Subbu's room, this is his room, this is his notebook, this is her bangles, etc. etc. etc. But as a matter of fact, none of the valuables belong to us. We are merely care takers. As long as you are permitted (by almighty), you will take care of the so-called valuables, and one fine day - you will be made care taker of some new valuables. Then, the so-called your owned valuables get detached to you in one go. More time, we hold some valuables with us, more we become compassionate to them, but valuables are bound to get detached to us. If not today, may be tomorrow. Nobody can carry any valuables to final destiny. In journey of about last 40 years or so, when I recollect my very first bicycle, which was shared by me and Nagu (my second brother), we got both our names painted on the bicycle. Probably, that was only the cycle which we both had, and we used to ride it together. All fun, togetherness, and responsibilities. So sweet was the sensation of having this bicycle. In this bicycle, I learned - how to ride a bicycle. But with due passage of time, the bicycle became irreparable. We were no more care takers of that bicycle then. In 2003, immediately after completion of my PhD, I was recruited as a Project Scientist at INCOIS, Hyderabad. By God's grace, by that time, I had accumulated some small amount, and could manage to purchase my very first bike, that was - Kinetic Boss. Kapil Dev used to advertise for this bike. On a lighter side, when my friends ask me - why Boss ? Then my response would be - so that I can kick my boss every morning. Well, that was fun. But I took so many long rides in this Boss. I never imagined that - one day, I will have to leave this bike. In a matter of just one and half years, I got a Postdoc offer in Korea, and I had to leave the bike, and many other valuables which I had acquired in Hyderabad. I was no more the owner of this Kinetic Boss. It was yet another lesson to me that - I am just a care taker. Then, my journey to Korea was fantastic. Whatever I accumulated in terms of assets in Korea, I just handed over to my next colleague who took over from me. My TV, my bicycle, my mattress, my coat, and so on, I left all behind. I was merely a care taker of all these items. But the master-art of FORTRAN was one asset which got stuck with me. That was not any valuable, but it was a VALUE, which I acquired from my boss there. It is still a living asset with me, and I can proudly claim to be owner of this. That was value, and not valuables. SPL called me back in 2006, and with lot of compassion, I acquired my second bike - Bajaj Discover. As the name suggest, it was actually made to discover. In very first go, I discovered a rented house. Then house-hold items, and the exploration continued. In 2007, I got married, and the Discover found its pillion rider. We made use of this bike to discover all the possible fields including the Real Estate. In a journey of about 5 years, it was my companion in all the journeys. But its engine was gradually decaying, and I preferred to sale it, rather than investing little bit more amount on it. I thought, 115 cc bike is not OK for both of us now, and it is the time to upgrade, so I opted to purchase a 125 cc bike, and that was - Yamaha SS 125. Most stylish family bike. Just like a dress, my Yamaha was taken over as my new identity. I used this bike with utmost care and compassion. Till 2017, the bike was looking like a very very new bike. It never became old. But I decided to change the bike again, and I opted to take a new Suzuki Hayate EP. Thus, once again, my Yamaha went to some other person, who is now the owner of that bike. Journey continues. From all these generations of bikes, I learnt that - we must not be complacent. WE must accept that - we are merely caretakers. Don't run too much behind valuables, but run behind the values. They will stick with you. In all these transformation, leaving a old bike/car was very tough process, as they actually become our identity. But at the same time, acquiring a new bike was quite pleasing. But all these valuables come to us with a rider - that YOU ARE JUST A CARETAKER. Quite Philosophical, Isn't it ? Yes, it is. . |
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