tales and some not

on turning a blind eye

While growing up, I chanced to read this one essay by Chesterton - The advantages of having one leg. I remember how even before I read that wonderful piece of writing, I marveled at the title and imagined what it could be about. My then young mind immediately produced many such similar names and I even endeavored to write about them - advantages of being deaf but not dumb, advantages of being left with no fingers and what not. But I never did. I never could. I have never lived through them. I have not researched about them either to document  the challenges  or the  apparent benefits properly.

But I do know a thing or two about turning a blind eye.

Like the other day, I saw that I am short of my stock of lentils, but I ignored it. Or I knew I should not be relenting to the ever increasing demands of my strong headed toddler, yet I give in. And these instances are not just confined to the four walls of my home. For example last month, when the cases of the virus were escalating in other parts of the world and was just a day or two shy in reaching our doorsteps, I asked my mother to stay put. Not to attend marriage functions and avoid visiting her brother or my father's sister. They are best friends - my ma and my aunt. They were just one class apart while growing up and eventually after the days of Assam Andolan  (Assam Agitation - a movement in the 80's spearheaded by students), they landed up in same batch. Times aren't much different, aren't they? Children are still missing school. Not yours or mine however. Luckily, we can afford smart phones. Anyways, that's not the point I was trying to make. My mother still continued with her social gatherings. She just didn't want to see.

But that's not just it, is it? In today's  world, the all seeing eyes are more of a trouble than not. People like to tune themselves out lest they fall out of favor. Lest they have to confront people.

Say for instance until two months back, I was still commuting to office, I was still working 9 to 6 in the structred office set up, I was still having lunch with my colleagues. They were not just colleagues however, they were friends , may be family or even more. I spent majority of my waking hours with them. So yes, we talk, we bond. We stand in hallways. We huddle in groups. We laugh, pass jokes, discuss stuck up managers. But not just that. We gossip too. The new boss, the cosy couple, the brand new car of a subordinate – all these fodder us, us mongers.

So when the new female manager from Accounts department crosses us, all eyes of the males follow her. They comb their hair with their fingers when they see her beautiful  neckline. That is followed by a click of the tongue and a collective, what can i say, wistful sigh? I saw her last Sunday with the Mr.So_and_So , think she will do it with us. Some laughs follow. Do you have a fancy car, Sharma? First buy that, then aim so high. Women like her don't do men like us. I hear. We hear. I see through them. We do too. But Sharma is a friend, an acquaintance may be. So we choose not to see and let this small apparently  harmless talk continue.

But then you may say, what about those who don't work outside of home,  why should they tune themselves  out. See here we can't  forget Uncle Bipin from Mira' s party - yes the one who cracked those Whatsapp forwarded sexist jokes, or Mrs Bimala for that matter when she gossiped about the two girls who stay as tenants at her Pune house. Then even now , during this period  of lockdown we have social media groups, family groups, unofficial  office groups where we lighten our load with some pretty bad jokes every now and then.

Tough times, these are, they say. Huh.