On Civvy Street (March 2007)

25 years, 7 months.
Add NDA and IMA before I got commissioned…makes it 30 and change.
Long, long time na?
At least enough time to make a guy comfortably settled in the groove and for the wanderlust to have vanished.
But it didn’t.
So here I am, out of uniform, and on Civvy street… attempting to start my working life afresh.
I remember my first meeting.
Everyone around the table was asked to introduce themselves for my benefit.
The Site Director began…Hi, I’m Charlie. Been in D (the wonderful organisation I work for) the past 12 quarters. Prior to that….
Others followed suit…Hi, I’m Lima...a pretty young Lady says...I’m Director for Canada Tech…14 quarters in D….Hi...I’m Alpha…Director Care … 8 quarters in D….And so on,
Finally, yours truly.....
Hi..I’m Romeo …1/12th of a quarter in D.....prior to this.. 102 quarters in the Indian Army.
Lol!! You should have seen the look on their faces… like going to the Zoo to look at tigers and monkeys and stuff..... and suddenly coming face to face with a Brontosaurus.
A dumb soldier?? Yikes !! We thought this was a cerebral company.
An old man?? Yikes !! We thought this industry was all about youngsters.
Well, they didn’t say it but it was writ large on their faces.
I smiled my usual silly, goofy smile.....told my knocking knees under the round table to chill and casually (at least I tried) twirled a pencil around with my long fingers.
The meeting started.....a ‘workout’ I was told… a term I associated with fitness and stuff.....but soon enough I realised it was what we called ‘brainstorming’ in the army.
Funny, strange acronyms and terms flew past.....fast and furious. I was lost..... and getting more and more lost.....but what could I do? I couldn’t possibly break the flow by asking for explanations every 3rd second. I couldn’t possibly doze off. I couldn’t possibly ask to be excused saying I’d be back only once I understood this Greek and Latin.
I stuck on. 8 hours…stayed awake, looked interested, made notes (which read as....1. buy milk, 2. check who’ll wash the car and bike..security?..3. bank account ..4. write to Dad…and so on)Anyways, it finally got over.....everyone shut their laptop lids..Mine had stayed shut…didn’t want these folks watching me at my one finger typing best (or worst, if you will).
That was Day # 1.
More followed..
I’m now well into my second quarter......a salary hike and a great quarterly performance appraisal under my belt.
I can’t say I’ve arrived.....but I’ve begun to crawl on this new path.
Its fun, it’s challenging.....it’s exciting.
More about it as I go along!!