anupamaAh, the travails of owning a mobile phone. This ubiquitous gadget has wormed its way into our hearts. A former technophobe and a self- proclaimed Luddite, FOMO loomed large with my mobile accidentally completing a full cycle in the washing machine one sunny morning. My online payments ground to a halt while an eerie silence substituted the strident beeps of WhatsApp and phone calls. Just when I was ready to throw in the towel, hope emerged in the shape of two young engineer brothers who run a business dealing with mobiles. Though a professional diagnosis revealed that my phone could be resurrected in a couple of days (hallelujah!), I decided to go in for a new model. The brothers patiently guided me through a comparative check-list of the specs till I was satisfied.
So why does this find a mention in my blog? Just because I was truly impressed to see these youngsters display grit and initiative to strike out on their own without much parental guidance. They leveraged their skills into a profitable business venture with good ol’ fashioned hard work and perseverance. I am reminded of my niece who , at the age of sixteen, successful ran an artificial jewellery business with a website for orders and deliveries et al. And then there is this ex-student of mine who is a cake czar whipping up designer cakes for Nagpur’s glitterati. So, when I hear that today’s youngsters are whiny and whingy, and lack a work ethic, it is incidents like this that reinforce my faith in Gen Z. May the force be with them!
