I met two brothers the other day, one of them was an auto-driver, his family lives in a chawl in Mumbai, his children also stay in the same area with pretty much no educational qualifications and with a similar future as to their fathers. One of his daughters has been married to a chap in their locality, and has a son. I am not saying they have a bleak future, or anything at this point. Just read on.
The other brother, finished his B. Com and got into a PSU organization, he worked hard in this organization for more than 30 years. Now he is a top executive and owns a bungalow in Pune, and a house in Mumbai. He ensured that his son got decent schooling. Now his son is a management consultant earning a top-notch salary.
The mannerisms and the income levels of both the families are vastly disparate. Like the Hindi saying Zameen aur Aasmaan.
With both of the brothers starting off at the same point, the only differentiating factor that I can ascertain for certain is this –
Education
As future parents, that’s the best gift you can give your children.
I’d rather believe education only up to class 10 is necessary. Also, education should not be just the formal education (the one we get in school, college). I’m more inclined towards the education that either gives you new skills or upgrades your existing skills.
…I guess I should better write a post. about this.
Yep, do write that post.
The best gifts are already unto her. Education came much later.
Remember the thread we had on this? Are you sure you are not falling for confirmation bia?
Nope.. Since I was mentioning the thread here. I just saw a real life example of two brothers one with education, the other without. The vast difference was striking.
May be the vast difference you felt was due to the fact that you observed two brothers together. Anybody who would observe you and me together would certainly write a blog post titled “the best gift you can give kidakaka is a treadmill and the best gift you can give baba is a dozen bananas”.
Baba,
1. You are saying what I meant to say, albeit in different words
2. Ill take the treadmill but don’t know whether you will benefit from a dozen bananas :-) unless you feel a need to get back to your primate instincts :-P
3. I observed them together and the defining point in one of the brothers lives was education
BTW, do not underestimate the better gene combination passed down naturally. The educated father already had a better set. Combine that with social status and the money he could put into child’s education. It would take a real disaster for the son to do bad.
I hope by education, you do not mean only the academic part of it
Well Mukta, I do mean the academic part of it as well :-)
Even if it is considered as a sham by many, there is still a value to it!!
Here I see the educated brother ignoring his chawl brother, If the educated Brother is living in big houses and has many houses in difference cities. Why is his own brother still in the chawl??? Today’s education gives you tools to make money but does not teach you about brotherhood and family, that’s the sad part of it. Most of the so called educated people only think about their kids and wife, not their own siblings and parents. And the same will happen when they get old, they will end up in adult care ;) Its better to live happily in chawl then to live in adult care by yourself.
Ravi, that’s quite a tangent to go on. There could be a multitude of reasons why this could be, which I would not get into. The brother who is better off has expired btw, and did not have to live in adult care.