My Dearest Son Aabhas

You have just turned sixteen. When I see you dreaming beyond the sky, I find myself flying along with you.

Growing up back in India, my friends and I probably didn’t have as many resources as you have today, but our dreams were similar. We didn’t have to go through so much peer pressure as you are going through in your young life. Our nights were the same, and perhaps our aspirations were on the same cloud, where I see yours blossoming with full faith and confidence in yourself. You have the same level of energy and emotions reacting to the social circle around you as we did.

You got your driving license today.  And there’s one difference – while we were dreaming of driving a humble scooter, you are dreaming of cruising in your car. You are planning to drive the car for the first time by yourself and give a ride to your friends to school.

Your motivation is the same as we had, “How do I surprise the world?” The excitement is the same, except that the world around you, has changed a lot. Now the world doesn’t respond with the same excitement as it used to when we were growing up with limited resources. 

At that time only a few of us had the luxury to ride automobiles and that made us feel very special. My friends used to get excited when they saw someone riding a new scooter; like the color, noise, looks, cost, brand and were even like, “Wow it starts in one kick.”

When I was around your age, my parents gifted me a small bike called the ‘TV5 50’ (it was like a hybrid between a scooter and a motorbike). I took the TVS 50 to my best friend’s house, and we both rode it together. We became speedsters on the road every time we went to the school, the playground or even tuitions, with that small engine choking under the weight of us overweight teens.

The bright red colored TVS was the focal point of our friend circle because it was the only automobile in the group. The excitement of possessing that beauty was no less than someone owning a bright red Ferrari in today’s time. And to add to the fun, there were no limitations of driving speed or even stop signs. The traffic signals were mere suggestions in India. We loved the freedom bestowed upon us as teenagers with that one vehicle. It was impossible for us to even imagine that life without it.

Fast forward today and I see that your friends have the almost similar resources available to them. So. I am not sure if they will feel the same level of excitement that you feel when you drive a car in front of them. While it was certainly not safe, you won’t get to drive with the same freedom as I did, growing up. I wonder, will your friends burst with the same delightful laugh as my friends did when they saw me kickstart my machine? 

What would you show your friends – your first car keys or the car interiors or maybe how safely you can drive? They should trust you with your driving skills so you can drive them to school, just as your neighborhood friend Dustin did last year or Jena the year before that.

Don’t feel disappointed if your friends don’t react to you with the same warmth you expect from them; what really matters is how you feel about this new phase in your life.

I’m so proud of you my son that you have the same dreams in your eyes. Yes, the shape of these dreams has changed, but I see the same excitement in your eyes as when I turned sixteen. And that’s what makes me so happy. You keep dreaming and don’t stop flying.

Think about helping people, especially your friends. Feel free to share your dreams and excitement with them. Those who will feel connected will come forward to share a ride together with joy. Those who are afraid of failures may never learn to fly.  But if they trust you, probably they will fly with you, so carry them with you. Share your success as well as failures with them. Make this world a better place by thinking collectively, achieving valiantly and embracing humbly.

Enjoy your Joy ride and I love you beta!

Dad

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