Friday, March 1, 2013

Impressions


Who has not heard of that cliché “The first impression is the best impression”? Not that it has ever been the best impression of me for anyone but it is true that most people who have formed an impression of me at some point in time view me always from that perspective through the rest of their lives. I presume it is true for most people.
I have always striven to give the impression of being inept – well, not that it required any great striving since it is, by and large, true of me. My aversion to work is also a byword among family and friends. It is a great help comes the time when something needs doing and people look for someone to do it. Their eyes sort of slide over me as though I were invisible thereby saving me the chore of ungraciously refusing to do whatever they would have asked me to do.
There is an added advantage. Have you ever seen one of those unfortunate souls who always leap to help people out? If, perchance, one time they fail to do it that is the instance that gets most talked about. “You know, you people always say Vinit is so helpful. It is all drama. That day I wanted him to get me some milk and he refused giving some frivolous excuse about having to go to the hospital to see a friend.” And things like that!
On the other hand, if one time I do something to help someone you can guess how it goes. “You guys have nothing better than to spread bad rumors about people. Suresh is so helpful – he got me a glass of water the moment I entered his house – and you keep saying he is too lazy to do anything.”
It is this habit of reporting only the exceptions that establishes reputations. If you were only to hear party gossip you would get an entirely erroneous impression of a modest and helpful Suresh being calumniated by vicious people while a sly Vinit has managed to hoodwink people into thinking that he was a helpful chap.
Not that it has always been a bed of roses for me. The one day when my office managed to corner me into working for nearly sixteen hours and I came home staggering with exhaustion did I receive any sympathy from my mother and sister? Not that I could notice!
“So, who were you drinking with till this time of the night? Are you not ashamed of coming home staggering like a homeless drunk?”
That was the day I realized that Life is unfair!
If you liked this you may like to check out the index of other posts of this genre or read a selection of similar posts.

47 comments:

  1. Haha the ending is perfect.This must have reinforced your policy of not working.

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    1. So much that I quit my job and sat at home :)

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  2. yeah life is unfair ! but then look at it this way life is giving you so many chances to write such great posts !

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    1. Ah! That's the only consolation - it does allow me to write posts, great or otherwise :)

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  3. ha ha! I agree Suresh. Life is indeed so damn unfair! One thing that comes naturally to our people is forming opinions and then spreading the word!

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  4. Yep, life is unfair, but the pity is we pretend it's not being so. Nice write.

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  5. LOL! Impression does have a lasting effect. Enjoyed reading it, heading to read from the index now. :)

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  6. totally agree with you. people form their opinion about an individual based on that one instance when he or she acted differently.

    absolutely love reading your posts!! this is exactly the kind of humor i love reading (don't know what it's called, i heard there are different types of humor). i keep visiting your blog and read your posts a few times after you publish them :)

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    1. Once you find out tell me Debs :) I think your brand of humor is the same as mine - the written ones :) the cartoons are mainly satirical.

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  7. Haha.. on few occasions, my manager SMSed me "meeting about to start, come quickly" unlike other days, that particular day usually would stuck in heavy traffic"

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  8. First impressions can be wrong or right, depends on the person as well as situation. Funny account :).

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  9. Very few people take that extra effort to take a peek into the reality before spreading news .They should be reminded that ' What goes around comes all the way back around ' . A very thoughtful post !

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    1. Most of my humor posts have some thought behind them - very rarely I manage to get the thought across, instead of only the humor. Glad that I managed it this time for a few at least :)

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  10. I'm sitting here chuckling away to myself, while my husband and housemaid are both exchanging concerned looks as though to say , "Is everything alright with her top floor?"

    Striving to convey an impression of ineptitude is not easy as some may assume. It requires careful carelessness, planned procrastination and ingenious insouciance. And I must say, from the results you have achieved, you have played it like a master :D

    Another hilarious and unbelievably true-to-life observation.

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    1. Ah! At last someone who recognizes the difficulty of my achievement :) As Vadivelu says in some movie, "Ellaralayum summa irukka mudiyuma?" :)

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  11. This is fact of life sau saal peel bhi tha, aak be hai aur kal bhi rahega....keep writing suresh

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    1. Thanks Chitra! Great to see you here now and then :)

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  12. LOL:):D
    Impressions!
    Mazaa aa gayaa:)
    Thank you Suresh:):D

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  13. Haha :) Yes life is unfair, as you say rightly 'Life is like this'

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    1. Ah! DS! Yuo tied it in to my blog name as well? :)

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  14. Ah well Imagine being accused of drinking after working for 16 hrs continuously ! My first Impressions usually end in something funny or disastrous ! !

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    1. That hurt that day! I mean on the driest day of my life I was being accused of a drunken orgy :)

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  15. Hahahh...looks like Vinit has really fallen out of favour with you, hasn't he! Loved the online smear campaign! :D
    Funny piece - because it is so true! Personally myself, on a Suresh-Vinit scale of helpfulness, I would say I am a Rickie.

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    1. Uh! you read too much into an unconscious use of a name, Rickie! And what do you mean you are somewhere between Suresh and Vinit on a scale of helpfulness? You are the Zero from where i started my scale :)

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    2. Hah! Shhh....let's keep numbers like 0 out of it! Vague is good :)

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    3. Quite right - vague is best! I forgot about the realm of the negative numbers :)

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  16. Heheh...the last line tops it all...in fact, life is mean...not fair at all...;-)

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  17. These reflections on life are fun.

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    1. I find them funny as they happen, TF! I merely have to put them down :)

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  18. Another version of coming home late is equally dreadful. The wife stares at you, gets up and sniffs your collar. It can turn into a life changing experience.

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    1. Hmm! That's a fate that doesn't await me :)

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  19. Now I'm worried to tell you my first impressions of you, Suresh! ;) Enjoyed reading this.

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    1. Now you have aroused my curiosity, Corinne :) Apprehensive curiosity :)

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  20. One sly person aren't you! Using expectations and exceptions to your benefit! LOL. Funny tale :) Life is unfair, but hey that makes it fun otherwise that would become monotonous too like Vinit helping out all the time!

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    1. Not at all! i am the poor misunderstood guy :)

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  21. Lovely post, Suresh. At my first meeting with people, I would mostly remain silent; and this changes overtime!

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  22. I must admit that I used to be one of those "unfortunate souls, who jumped up to help people". :-) When the "Life is Unfair" understanding happened, I grew wiser.

    And Suresh, you don't seem to be the sort of person who would be bothered with impressions. ;-)

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    1. Very seldom bothered enough to change my attitudes or behavior :)

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  23. Laziness is a virtue--PERIOD!! All these darned workaholics cause more damage than good--the world would have been a much more pleasant place if people just lazed.

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