The great thing about alcohol-induced epiphanies is that they can be very profound. The sad thing is that many of the things don't remain on your mind the next morning, when you are left nursing a headache at best or a full blown hangover at the worst, the discomfort being directly proportional to the depths of philosophy explored while under the influence!
Last night was one of those nights when I broke my own rule of only having a drink when I was celebrating, but I don't have any regrets. The desired effect was obtained and I even got something to blog about..

I was thinking about work and people who work, the working class.  In my minds eye, I could see working people falling into three categories namely:

1) The hawkers: These are people with very little creativity and intellect. They have a few basic skills that allow them to accomplish repetitive tasks, the kind which require bare minimum levels of human intelligence, if at all. These are the people who neither have the intelligence nor the desire to rise higher up the working class ladder. It's because of these hawkers, who hawk their limited skills that a lot of things get done around us. They are by default the ones who earn the least.

2) The prostitutes: There are people with a lot more of creativity and intelligence. They don't mind using their intelligence, guile and charm to get opportunities even when none existed, but more often than not, it is they who get used by the system and feel shortchanged in the long run. It is to this group that most of us belong. We sell our souls, our dreams and ambitions in the pursuit of a little extra comfort, a better bank balance and the like. Given a choice, many of us prostitutes would like to go after the things that we truly aspire for and are passionate about, but then, few of us actually take the choice, even if it's available to us.

3) The mystics and mavericks: People with tremendously high levels of intelligence, passion and a desire to see things through, right to the end. These are the people who seemingly have it all, people who are not only good at what they do but also love doing what they do. These are also by default the people who get the plum jobs with excellent earnings.
While the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Schumacher, Quentin Tarantino, Lata Mageshkar and Barkha Dutt are a few obvious holders of the highest ranks amongst the m&ms, there are those who don't have all the traits but still belong completely to the elite group. Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa might not make it to any list of the richest individuals of the world but there is no questioning their membership.

The more intelligent and ambitious among the prostitutes look towards the mystics and mavericks for inspiration, often wondering how much more effort it would take to get there from where they are currently.  Though most of us know Sachin Tendulkar, how many of us would know the dozens upon dozens of extremely talented youngsters put to the pasture due to politics in the selection committee and other such factors? For every R.K.Narayan, there were hundreds upon hundreds who started as humble proofreaders, copywriters, newspaper columnists and what not, all indulged in prostitution, hoping for that break that would take them to that exalted position of the mystics. Speaking of prostitutes, I'm reminded of the words of a prostitute who advises Maria, the protagonist of Paulo Coelho's Eleven minutes. 'Never allow your client to kiss you, for the kiss is sacred.  Keep it for the one you love, it's the last shred of our dignity'.  The words may not be an exact reproduction, but it comes close.  It talks about prostitution and morals in the same breath, though the two seem very unlikely companions.  Does it extend to our own jobs? Our own lives as prostitutes?

A very interesting person whom I happened to meet on my recent trip to Hyderabad had given up on her engineering degree to get into what she liked doing best, writing.  It was apparent that the battles did not stop when she put her foot down to make the transition: she had to keep fighting each day.  Could I do the same? Could I just chuck aside all time and effort sunk in into my current vocation and change tracks? A line from 'The Joker' in The Dark Knight goes 'If you are good at something, never do it for free', but does it apply to things that one is passionate about too? I think not. I'm good at my current job, very good in fact but my passion lies elsewhere, in writing, but my newly discovered epiphany screams 'If you are passionate about something, never do it for the money'.  I love writing but if I decided to make it my vocation, would I still have my freedom? I might be asked to glorify the very things that I totally abhor and I'll have to do it if I need to keep my job.  Turning my passion into a paying job might just be the equivalent of a prostitute giving up her last vestiges of dignity.  I'm sure there are people who have their eyes on nothing but the stars, the ultimate goal of becoming a mystic, those who can make the transition from a struggler to a champion, a prostitute to a mystic.  How many times would I have to do the things I despise before I make that transition?  Or should I just keep the passion as a hobby and hold on to my dignity? Is it better to be hungry and free or muscular and chained? If I opt for the chains knowing that they will come off after an extended period of time,  will I even remember how it is to stretch my limbs and spread my wings when they do come off? Or would I have gotten so used to the chains that I cannot even enjoy my own freedom?