Yesterday was Friendship Day. Even before the weekend, (on Friday, that is) messages started pouring in from different people. Some were SMS-es, some were teddy-bear-and-rose kind-of mails, and some others were just plain subject-liners. On Saturday night, at around midnight it was like a special cosmic moment --- my mobile started buzzing and ringing like hell and was suddenly flooded with SMS-es; for a moment I even thought that the day of the Sardar (please, no offence meant) had finally come. One particular SMS even claimed to have been the first one to wish me, and therefore the sender was my best friend. I saw photos of 'Friendship Bands' on a newspaper, and also saw them on some shops. And it set me thinking --- do we really need the friendship day?
As long as you want another reason to celebrate, booze out, party, etc it is all right. Why, I would even be freaking out for any reason, even something that says, "Kerela beat West Bengal in Kabaddi". If you think that you need to remember being someone's friendship by wishing him/her on that day, or maybe reminding him/her of your presence... well, suit yourself. My point is, do you need to do that?
Whether you want to admit it or not, you want to sport a Friendship Band because you saw KKHH. And you want to vicariously live through the experience, you want to see cool chicks and hot dudes in your college campus, or maybe you want to emphasize the fact that you belong to the college-age, maybe just about to enter or just passed out. Well, even if you are not realizing it, you are glorifying that college depicted in the movie and actually mud-slinging your own place, your home. Something like the crow who donned peacock feathers.
There is more to it. I for one, never sent such and SMS or email forward to anyone. It appears kiddish to me, if not awkward, to be wishing someone like that. It seems to undermine my friendship, and especially when someone comes in and claims to be my best friend because he/she wished me first. I will really not mind the slightest bit if someone does not wish me, but if I forget to wish someone and he/she takes umbrage at that, then the person needs some counselling. Buddies, you are always there for me, I know that. I don't need to wish you or need you to wish me to be reminded of it, or least of all to re-inforce it. I hate singing paeans for God, "You are omnipotent, you are almighty..." simply because he does not need a reminder or any deal of bribing by flattery to answer me. I ask and pray as if I would ask for something from my mother. Come on, that Person sitting there loves me more than I can imagine, and so I don't need to send him reminders about me being present. It is a sort of ineffable joy that you experience after a close and heart-felt prayer, something that you experience after you've solved a difficult problem or at least concentrated and studied hard for a couple of hours. I experience something akin to that in the company of good friends.
Folks, if you have read this post, please forgive me for not wishing you --- you now know the reason why.
As long as you want another reason to celebrate, booze out, party, etc it is all right. Why, I would even be freaking out for any reason, even something that says, "Kerela beat West Bengal in Kabaddi". If you think that you need to remember being someone's friendship by wishing him/her on that day, or maybe reminding him/her of your presence... well, suit yourself. My point is, do you need to do that?
Whether you want to admit it or not, you want to sport a Friendship Band because you saw KKHH. And you want to vicariously live through the experience, you want to see cool chicks and hot dudes in your college campus, or maybe you want to emphasize the fact that you belong to the college-age, maybe just about to enter or just passed out. Well, even if you are not realizing it, you are glorifying that college depicted in the movie and actually mud-slinging your own place, your home. Something like the crow who donned peacock feathers.
There is more to it. I for one, never sent such and SMS or email forward to anyone. It appears kiddish to me, if not awkward, to be wishing someone like that. It seems to undermine my friendship, and especially when someone comes in and claims to be my best friend because he/she wished me first. I will really not mind the slightest bit if someone does not wish me, but if I forget to wish someone and he/she takes umbrage at that, then the person needs some counselling. Buddies, you are always there for me, I know that. I don't need to wish you or need you to wish me to be reminded of it, or least of all to re-inforce it. I hate singing paeans for God, "You are omnipotent, you are almighty..." simply because he does not need a reminder or any deal of bribing by flattery to answer me. I ask and pray as if I would ask for something from my mother. Come on, that Person sitting there loves me more than I can imagine, and so I don't need to send him reminders about me being present. It is a sort of ineffable joy that you experience after a close and heart-felt prayer, something that you experience after you've solved a difficult problem or at least concentrated and studied hard for a couple of hours. I experience something akin to that in the company of good friends.
Folks, if you have read this post, please forgive me for not wishing you --- you now know the reason why.
hello :) thanks for visiting my blog.. err and happy belated Friendship day!
ReplyDeleteActually, the question I wanna ask is...exactly how many times does friendship day come in a year??!! I got a mssg last week and again this week.
ReplyDeleteBeat this, when I asked a friend that here on receiving a mssg from her, this is the response I got-
Oh last week it was for people in India, today is for the UK & Gulf!!
(WHAA%$###@@^^+(@#)@)!)@@#$###)
Doesn't make sense to me..!
Anyways, don't believe in it either! I second u on that!
PS: thnx for stopping by.
Exactly the sentiments. What I believe is that if friendship is for keeps, every day is friendship day. Do need a friendship day for that! Well written!
ReplyDeleteGrafxgurl, a formal hello and thanks for dropping by... hope to see you around here more. Oh, BTW, Happy (Belated) Friendship day to you as well!
ReplyDeleteSbk, the world is round, I guess... :) Thanks for dropping by. You could ask your friend if she believes in Universal Brotherhood :)
Manish, yeah.. that could be the punchline, "Everyday is a friendship day"
This post was like a wiped clean , high quality mirror to my thoughts.Friendship day.Its more like a day when girls slap stupid bands on other girls , giggle , slap bands on guys they have a crush on , and giggle some more.
ReplyDeleteAbhinav, I told you --- Great men think alike! :) The phenomenon you mention is one of the other reasons that adds to my irritation of days like this "Friendship Day". BTW, a formal welcome to my place... hope to see you around more here.
ReplyDeletebeautiful post. I couldn't agree more. And why just frenship day, thats true for mother's day, father's day, brother's day, sister's day..... Its just an emulation of the west. We dont need special days to wish our near n dear ones.
ReplyDeleteAnd ya, thanks for visiting my page.
Shashi, thanks for dropping by. Well, yes, we could do away with all of them, but then again, it varies from person to person. Hope to see you around here :)
ReplyDeletehey sudeepta...you sound like a sensible confident women...
ReplyDeleteThese days like friendship day..I met you first time day..we spoke second time day are meant for general loser like guys and gals who feel the need to be reassured of who are and arent their friends..(actually friends does not sound right...it should actually be aquaintances..).
But what the heck if someone needs a reason to invite me for a party Im in....I'll let those people scribble on my tshirts and make me wear a hundred colour bands that I dont like..if it makes them happy so be it..
Goan Pao, First of all, a correction: I am a man (or even if a boy, at least I belong to the male species). And I'm always in the mood for a party and free lunch, for sure! There you have a point... as long as we just celebrate, I have no objections.
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for dropping by... will check out your place now
Bingo...right on target...As a matter of fact none of these reserved days viz 'Mother's Day','Father's Day','Aids' Day' etc., etc., make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteCorleone, thanks! World Aids Day might still make sense, trying to remind you to play things 'safe', but most of the others seem to get on my nerves.
ReplyDeleteHey Sir..Welcome back to the blog-o-sphere...late wishes,I know but I blame the CCC! :-p
ReplyDeleteAnd U are the absolutely rite person I have been looking for...a li'l birdie tells me, that u designed a software for ur final year project which is used to calculate our GPA :-s...is it true?
Do send me ur mail id if possible....have something important to ask ya...
C ya!
Yeah...these "Days" are booooring!
ReplyDeleteOye Abhinav, please don't generalize!
Ellie, Thanks! The GPA thingy was just a part-time program I built, and not my final-year project. My email id is available with most Bengali folks in the college, and I think I will rather not publish that here.
ReplyDeleteme, Hello and welcome! And thanks for 'more than' agreeing, whatever that means ;)
Gratisgab, these days are indeed boring. And for Abhinav, you have at least one exception here. Gratisgab, I am sure neither he nor I wanted to generalise.
Among our group of friends(who din't wish or celebrate friendship day), celebrate everyday as
ReplyDeletelove-day (depends on how you read it and the language too!!!;) )
Chennai Pages, hello and welcome to my blog. Well yes, the only people who rake the moolah due to all these 'days' seem to be the ad and card companies.
ReplyDeleteMr Quirk, yeah, hope you did not confuse the head and tail of the coin ;)
Hi dude...
ReplyDeleteAgree with u on this. If u need to be reminded that u are someone's friend, on one particular day of the yr, its better u don have such a friendship :-)
I guess its just another reason for people to meet up, have fun, and so-called 'celebrate'. Thats it. Nothing more.. People are just on the lookout for a reason to have fun and enjoy. Friendship day provides just that. But as long as its no harm, and if makes ppl happy, i don see any problem with it either.
Johnny Boy, hi! Yeah, as long as it is there to party around... no probs with me either! Will check your place soon!
ReplyDeleteMrityunjay... first of all, thanks for dropping by. And yes, your wishes will be always welcome, but not the friendship bands :)
ReplyDelete