Silver thoughts

I was having this conversation with mom yesterday and as always it ended on a bitter note. The point of contention here was the process of arranged marriages.

It all started when she said, "I am worried about how to proceed with your sister's marriage. There is so much to do. Buy silver utensils.. and.." The last 3 words pricked me and I was lost in my thoughts. I pondered over the three words 'buy silver utensils' for a while and shot back at her, "Why do we need to buy silver utensils? What will sis do with it after her marriage?"

My mother looked surprised by that question and said nonchalantly, "Shiva, these are customs which should be followed". "Should be? Why?". Clearly, irritated by my questions she said calmly like a seasoned communications professional, "Shiva, you need to look at the world. Understand society. You need to move outside the four walls you've built within you and understand that society expects you to do these things."

I spent the next few hours thinking about what she said. I didn't see the correlation between my failure to understand the concept of buying silverware and my inward looking self.

For one, I don't believe in doing anything just because there are rules written by the society. I am not a rebel against norms. I just question these norms. I would rather redirect my resources to buying her non-stick cookware than invest money on silverware. (As i write this, I picture a "Shaadi ka mandap", a marraige hall stacked up with non-stick cookware.. and I burst out laughing... I then look around just to make sure that no one is looking at me...)

The conversation though had one good ramification. Thanks to it, I spent some time on researching if Silver was a good investment option. It is not. Sigh… it is a materialistic world we live in. :)