I was watching the small boy so intently engrossed in trying to catch the butterfly sitting on a flower. He has been trying to get hold of one for some time now. Finally, he managed to get hold of one and was beaming at his conquest. His happiness or I should say Jubilation was so intense that I couldn’t help smiling. And he smiled in return. The innocence of a kid accepts and appreciates even a stranger without prejudices.
And then, to his father, he went on a tirade about the butterfly. He described every colour of the butterfly, every design, every movement. He was comparing with some other butterfly he had observed and was commenting on the difference in colours and designs. Oh My God, I never knew a butterfly could be this wonderful and detailed. For me it was just another butterfly, to borrow a corporate lingo, I had a MACRO observation and the child had a MICRO observation.
I wasn’t this way as a kid; I too had a micro observation. I could describe things in detail, I could tell you all the instruments being used in a song with the rhythms it would play, I could tell you the details of a painting I saw. I could tell you the details of expression I saw on the face of my friends and dear ones.
People are essentially MICRO as Kids or even at youth. And then they transform into the hep MACRO.
Today, a lot of people
- Listen to songs without hearing the beat.
- Look at the painting without seeing it.
- Eat food without actually tasting it.
- Spend time with kids and family being physically present and mentally absent.
- Hear their child’s laughter without feeling the happiness the child is going through.
- Look at their dear ones yet miss seeing the moist eyes.
Nowadays, the pronounced is more relevant than the subtle, the told is what is heard and the unsaid is never understood.
You are MACRO when you look at the larger picture without delving deep into the matter. MACRO is when you read the headings and sub headings and skip the details in your hurry to finish; yet you believe that you have surmised everything !
MACRO is when you hear just the words and not the associated feelings. You are living a MACRO life when you spend time without living the moment.
Yes, people are MICRO about their profession and hardly anything can take them by surprise. They can sense success and impending failures. It is difficult to cease to be micro on the professional front. They have their ratings, promotions and any attempt not to be micro can cost them their job. These are visible reprimands and loses hence people are sensitised to it.
What makes people go MACRO? People are hard pressed for time and are trying to juggle lot of things at work, and then there are family and friends. Like anyone who has bitten more than he can chew, the priorities come into play. People go micro on what they deem more relevant to them and get MACRO on what can be put off.
Unfortunately, for many, work scores over life. The time they keep for themselves is hardly enough to have a bird’s eye view. And they spend their days hoping to live it fully, someday.
Have we lost anything at home being a MACRO? Have we suffered the invisible loses, the invisible loss of erosion in bonding? Do we lament of distance creeping in, of people not understanding us?
It’s not only you who can get MACRO, the other person, too, could be a MACRO.This is the MACRO v/s MICRO conflict which creates silos within a group.
Ironically, when people see a wreck happening, they seek the one shot panacea. Again, a MACRO approach; they want a single shot solution without actually having to delve deep into things and understanding. The entire prowess on deep analysis is reserved for work place. Sad, isn’t it?
Is it misplaced priorities or is it that we are blinded by our own mythical definition of “care for family”? A concept that professional success is imminent for catering to the family’s needs, a widespread belief that it’s money that runs a family and fuels happiness. The kid I saw was extremely happy and was so vociferous to his father. There were no gifts or chocolates involved. Yes, the father spent a lot of time all ears and took the kid where he loved the most. Would the kid be as happy in the company of costly toys is a matter of debate.
I remember the anecdote I heard from a father who celebrated his son’s birthday with all grandeur in a big hotel. Proud as can be, he then asked his son what was the best thing he liked about the birthday. The son answered, “We having pani puri together and walking down the street”!!
Human relationships are more intricate than business nuances. Comprehending the intricacies of relationship needs the most of micro observations.
We need to learn the art of letting go. Everything is not important in life. Life is not about having everything; it is about having that something which means everything to you. And be MICRO about it.
SHADOWS ON MY ROAD 