Something New

It is three months since I moved into my new home. Most things are in place. Of course there are still teething troubles, inevitable side-effects of moving into a brand new apartment. But life goes on.

I know where to buy bread and vegetables locally. But I still find myself gravitating back to the old neighborhood for many things - tailor, library, watch repair shop. It is a little inconvenient, to drive 8 kilometers into a congested neighborhood just for the ease that familiarity brings. Why do we crave the known even though we suspect that something right around the corner may bring unexpected surprises?

In the spirit of supporting local businesses, I decided to walk into the new tailoring shop a few meters down the road. It was a large, new, well-lit shop that offered a choice of ready to wear ladies clothes along with tailoring services. The lady at the counter seemed friendly and we got talking as she took my measurements. She and her friend, software engineers by occupation, decided to give up perfectly lucrative careers to start this business. They wanted to spend more time with family and wanted to try something new which offered more flexibility. But these were the first few months of operation and they were working 7 days a week. Not having reached break-even point yet, she wondered why they had given up assured salaries for the up and downs of entrepreneurship.

I spoke a few words about my choice to quit a corporate job to begin something new and tried to encourage her. It is a tough road and venturing into a new endeavor is the hard. But there are moments of satisfaction as you cross your milestones that cannot be experienced while sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned office and working for someone else.

It is inspiring to find people who take the untrodden paths. May their tribe increase.