Friday, April 07, 2006

Middle Class Madhavan

Class.........one of those natural occuring dividers of demography in a society, something we instinctively adhere to without even realising it. Low class aspirants, the middle class mentality, high society snobs.....which cliche describes you the best?

Interestingly, though financial income is the base factor for this classification, it's never the money in itself which defines the individual. Instead, it's the experiences which are created by this money, the lifestyle it propagates and the attitude it cultivates, which segregate people into neatly defined social compartments.

Now, while its easy to pin-point those characteristics which would define the quintessential low-end struggler or the high-end aristocrat, it's that much more difficult to explain the unique experiences of a regular middle-class bloke. And this might be because there aren't any.....

In fact, the more I think about it, a middle-income guy is one who gets to share the lifestyle of both the rich and the poor. He doesn't have an identity of his own.

I drink atleast one cup of tea everyday from the roadside tea-stall outside my office. At the same time, I also appreciate a whip of Irish cream in my cappuccino.

I've enjoyed quite a few matches at Chepauk in the sweat-filled, ear-shattering atmosphere of the stone paved gallery. At the same time, I have enough contacts to get me a cushioned seat right over the bowler's arm next to the pavilion.


I know the major bus routes in and around Chennai, along with the expected waiting time and crowd factor for each bus. At the same time, I've experienced the Hyundai Sonata to be a dream to drive.


I prefer the ethnic Velu's Military hotels for some spicy, non-vegetarian stuff. At the same time, a turkey on a slow grill always sends my taste buds tingling too.


I can go on and on, but the fact is, the guy in the middle of the economic ladder gets to enjoy the best of both worlds. But yet, most people live their entire lives in pursuit of the top rung, to get out of the '250 million strong Indian middle-class' which George Bush referred to impressively sometime recently...which makes sense, I guess. It's the route to both an individual's and the country's prosperity.
But if life truly is the sum of one's experiences, isn't the middle the best place to be in?
hmm........

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