Mothers And Other Very Important People

It’s Mothers Day today. So, Happy Mothers Day.

Now that I have got the mandatories out of the way, this note is mainly to rue the fact that Single Boys and Single Girls don’t have their own Big Day when they get others not of their ilk to, officially, make them feel special. Why is that Hallmark, or Archies, have not taken up this cause? Do they not know that, according to estimates, more than 40% of the population is Single? (Sure, that number includes the very young and the very old, but let’s not get bogged down by trifling details). This is a demographic of people who are liberated, largely solvent, reasonably educated, and have their own accommodation (typically a room at their parents’, or in a shared apartment, which is absolutely, to a very large extent, their own space). They are usually not-too-paranoid or suicidal either, and hence, can make decent company when they are not hungover. They are the “uncles” and “aunties” that little children safely rely on to bear them gifts, even on routine visits. Which Single Person has ever dropped in at her cousin’s or friend’s and not at least carried “chocolates for the kids”? Which Single Person has not been guilt-panged into working late or over the weekend because he is “free”? And, aren’t Single People routinely asked to drop friends or colleagues at locations that are “slightly” off their own regular route? Isn’t the precursor to any party the host-friend’s Wife asking the Single Person to “pick up a few bottles on your way”? Would they ever deign to say that to the Married-Couple-With-2-Kids who are also attending the party?  

This is a group that is unflinchingly helping Society hum along with sanity. Doesn’t it deserve to be recognized? Respected? Married People, Parents, Social Pundits, Marketeers, Lawmakers, should all be falling over themselves feting their contributions. A Singles Day would be a fitting tribute for everyone to recognize their importance.    

So, Single Folks, let us rally to fight for our cause. Let’s light up those candles and be on our way to Jantar Mantar. It is time to Congregate. Advocate. Demonstrate. Litigate. A real and serious Singles Day is our Right, and, before we lose too many of our troops to shaadi.com or bharatmatrimony.com, by God, we shall have it.

(I think I had most people at “Congregate”. What better way for Single People to mingle than at a Singles Rally?)

Postscript-1 - After spending an hour writing this, I decided to google “Singles Day”. I found a Wikipedia entry for “Singles Awareness Day”, also known as S.A.D., that is celebrated on February 15^th. The significance of the date is, obviously, not lost on anyone. Time for this lampooning, this persecution to end.

Postscript-2 – In breast-beating for the cause of my People, I didn’t want to take the glory away from our Mothers. They may be the World’s Biggest Naggers (“Hasn’t your hair grown too long?”). They may own the art of being Sacrificial Lambs (“Plane tickets are very expensive, just book me on the train. 18 hours will pass in a jiffy”). They may still be rooted to their own, medieval world (“That one time I used my card at the ATM machine, it swallowed it. I just go to the bank when I need money. Anyway, I don’t remember the PIN”). Or guilt trip you (“All my friends play with their grand children. And I have this stupid dog”). Say the most embarrassing things in public (“This is for 10 rupees? How much is it with my Senior Citizen discount?”). Still trigger happy in public, after all these years, with your most distressing stories (censored). The list is long, but regardless, we still love them. What would the world be without them?

Happy Mothers Day, Mom! Now, can you tell me what have you done with my new pants from Zara? I need to go to a rally.