Monday, November 21, 2005

Do you have any babies?

"Where IS the damn bus??" My fidgety classmate (who has a five-month old baby) exclaimed in exasperation as we waited at the bus stop after our evening class that ends at 9:30 pm.

"Patience, my dear, patience. What's the big rush?" I was very amused at her jumpy behaviour.

'Well, I just get very restless after class. Can't wait to get home to go see how my baby is doing, and what's generally happening." She confided. "You'll know when you have a baby." She smiled.

And suddenly it struck me. I do have a baby! My blog is my baby! I can't wait to get home after class/work to see how it's doing, and what's generally happening. And I am fiercely protective of it.

What is a baby really? A cute,
precious, helpless little bundle that you have to take care of, that you have to watch over, so adorable that you just can't help hugging and kissing it.

Don't we all have babies that are not our babies? Haven't we all felt that immense sense of affection (that almost chokes us at times) for certain people, certain things? It may not be as deep as a real mother's love for her baby, but it's as close as single people can get to having their own baby. All of us have this basic maternal instinct (yes, even the guys do, though they may not like to admit it) for certain people in our lives. Your best friend, your friend's baby, your nephew, your niece, even your elder sibling (I know mine is!) could be your baby. In fact, there are at least three people on this blog itself whom I can call my babies because every time I think of them, I am filled with immense affection and the compelling need to protect them from whatever troubles them.

We all feel like that for certain people, don't we? When I first joined my company, a colleague of mine used to tell me, "I don't know why but I have this urge to 'baby' you, take care of you, make sure you're doing okay, check on you now and then." Now it's another matter that the advice this 'mother' gave me ("Get out of here as fast as you can. Publishing doesn't pay well and it's a high-stress, high-responsibility job.") is something this bratty baby never listened to. (In December I complete three years in the company.)

And then there are the things that are our babies. Things we're possessive about, things we are proud of, things that make our hearts go all warm and fuzzy. I feel like that about my magazine. It's my baby. Every time I go to 7-11 or a bookstore, I look out for it, and my heart fills with pride when I see it. And if it's hidden behind some bimbotic glossy magazine, I make it a point to pull it out and move it to the front. My baby should be visible. How dare the bimbo magazine try to cover my baby with its fat ass?!

Actually, for an editor, every book is a baby. Two years ago, I embarked on my biggest project at work. Working on a school textbook package with the Ministry of Education is no joke. In my company, the editor is the project manager and does everything from conceptualisation to editing to author-management to scheduling to budgeting and more. (So all those who think that all an editor does is sit at her desk and correct typos and grammatical errors all day, boy, you should never apply for a job in my company!) Such projects are incredibly exhausting, and often last 1-2 years, from the time we do the market research, finding authors, deciding the style and look, editing, artwork, photography, layout, reviews, to the submission of the book to the ministry, to getting the approval and to finally printing it, there's no end to the processes that an editor has to initiate and stay involved in, all the way. Like a friend said to me today, it is really about creating something out of nothing. It is therefore no surprise that most editors call their books their babies.

And so, this year in July, when my first textbook was launched, every time I looked at it sitting pretty, I'd melt and go "Awww... my baby!" I'm sure my co-editor Banana, and each of the designers who worked on it, felt the same. My editorial manager came along, picked up a copy of the book and remarked, "Your book is beautiful, Sayesha. You must be so proud. Your first baby, isn't it?"

'Yes, my first baby. Thank you. Am very proud of it." I said as I cradled my precious book in my hands.

"Next year's going to be very hectic for the textbook market. So are you looking forward to your next baby?" She asked.

I gave her a look of horror.

"Errr... can I adopt a one-child policy?" I asked. I don't think she was very amused. But I had a point. Creating the baby had been very hard work. This book had sapped quite a bit of my energy and creativity out of me, and all I needed was a break to just sit back and admire this book and watch it 'grow up' and tell myself proudly, "I was part of the team that made this beautiful book happen."

My other babies? Frodo and fat chick, of course!

Look around you, you will find so many babies of yours. Apart from the people in your life who're absolutely precious, it could even be your cricket bat, your soft toy, your X-box, your F1 steering wheel, your ipod, the piece of software you wrote. Anything.


So? Do you have any babies?



36 comments:

Sahil said...

Ok. I'm actually going to read this blog post later, just so that I get the satisfaction of being first for a change!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

(and who says Sahil hasn't got it anymore?)

Rays Of Sun said...

Me too..Shall read it in the day:)

BP said...

Haha... who can forget the pain of "giving birth" to those babies??

p/s I've been doing the same "magazine rearrangement" each time I see it in a 7-Eleven so I guess they've become my babies as well ;)

Rays Of Sun said...

Its my Laptop...I talk to it like "kay jhala baby" [which means wht happened to you baby, in marathi]if it hangs or something:)))

Rays Of Sun said...

And then ofcourse, it is my Aryan:) whom I see and tell myself, if I ever have a baby..it will be like HIM:)

Princessse said...

The most pertinent line in that post that jumped out at me was 'there are at least three people on this blog itself whom I can call my babies because every time I think of them, I am filled with immense affection and the compelling need to protect them from whatever troubles them' and I thought to myself, oh boy, now THERE's a category that almost everyone on this blog will be vying to fall under... at least on this blog girl, don't think you can afford a one-child or even a 3-child policy!! ;) ...coz you simply ROCK too much girl.

Akanksha said...

I so agree wid u...

It's an amazing thing how we associate things/people around us to be our souls (read: babies). And its such an awesome feeling.

Rays Of Sun said...

Man, that fat chick rocks:)did not read that post earlier:))

Reminds me of my "Blondie"..shall write a post on that cute little blondie of mine:)

Anonymous said...

Among certain people & things, my cell phone is certainly in there! Hahaa. Lap top too! (Ya ROS!)
I can get pretty possessive of my babies. :-)

Even I saw the chick post just today. Haha, that was a unique post :-) very cute and funny. And I loved your soft and cuddly Frodo. Can almost feel its softness :-)

If I had a dog, and I am Dying to get one soon, s/he would most certainly be my most darling baby.
(Hope I don't sicken them with my affection :-))

Sayesha, I can imagine the amount of work that might go into creating something to be published. That's really commendable.

Kroopa Shah (Kr00pz) said...

My babies? My sis and my bro of course and another person who I have to baby all the time to make sure he is alright!

ankur said...

oh u bet...so many its not even funny. i am like...stretching the term 'single parent' a little too far...!

and it always fun being a 'dad'...though most of my friends end up calling me grandad..for reasons that go beyond my age...(and skin..ahem ahem..! :))

nice post...!

~a

Nandya said...

oh u poor baby!!

inhas said...

my child is my life

Sayesha said...

#Sahil,
Oooh Sahil hasn't lost it eh? :) Welcome back, mehfil ke puraane diljale! :)

#ROS,
Ok two now? This isn't very encouraging, Sayesha! :/

#Banana,
Haha! It's got to you too, girl. And I must tell you, in case I haven't before, you've been and are being a fabulous mother to the mag. Even I happen to quit, I know my baby would be in safe hands. :)

#ROS,
Hahahaha! Yeah, I talk to Frodo and Fat Chick too! :D

#Princesse,
Errr... thanks! :$
ps: I can be a real khadoos mother though! Someone on this blog said he would send his daughter to me to be disciplined! :P

#Akanksha,
Thanks! :)

#ROS,
Ok, write about blondie sooooon! :)

#Harshi,
Thanks for all the different thoughts! :) Yeah, Frodo is so like a real dog sometimes I forget he isn't! :D

#Humjoli,
Errr...?

#Kroopz,
I knew you'd mention your bro. From your posts, it's very evident how much you adore him and 'baby' him :)

#Ankur,
Thanks! :)

#Nandya,
Hahahahahaha! :D

#Inhas,
Wow, now that's an amazing thought! :)

Anonymous said...

Nice piece!:) Your titles always confuse me tho.

One such baby of mine is Amrita Rao! Never felt too obsessed by an object or activity but cricket bat and cricket come pretty close.

BTW who are the other two babies on the blog? :))
*coughkiddingcough*

Tinku

BP said...

//Even I happen to quit
NOoooo...
*horrified*

Anonymous said...

Are you serious Vik? Wow. I still can't believe it.
You are kidding right? :-)

Unknown said...

My shoes!

I didn't MAKE them but still...they're not always practical, not always affordable, sometimes they are painful too but they give me joy!

As for the real thing, ewww...not for a long time!

Kiran said...

I'll take care of ur baby while u in the office... ;) kiddin

//Look around you, you will find so many babies of yours/-I looked around and found this baby of mine, its cute,its honest, its prompt,it takes care of itself even when am off,it runs but never moves an inch, it plays but never stops,it cries too....Coz I pinched her last nite....hahaha its my alarm.

I looked around again, this time I found lot of babes around, Oops!! all my babies hav grownup, while I was mingling with my alaram..bad joke isn't it???

Ashish Gupta said...

trying the easy way out, eh?
having a baby without all the fun and the pain :O

virdi said...

arre bhai aur behen log... isko baacha chahiye... koi isko bacha de do!!! ;-)

V..

Keshi said...

sweet post...

I have 1 precious baby...my car :)

Keshi.

Leon said...

I have lots of babies..

My mom, my sis, my blog, a couple of friends each in Hyd/B'lore/Chennai, my car, my laptop, my digicam, my cell phone, my "Friends" CD collection.. :-).. ALL MINE.. :D

(And a few friends on my blog.. ;-))

Sayesha said...

#Tinku,
Thanks! :)

//Your titles always confuse me tho.

Intentional, my friend, intentional :)

Ooh, I love Amrita Rao, I think she's adorable! Especially in Ishq Vishq! :)

//BTW who are the other two babies on the blog? :)) *coughkiddingcough*

HAHAHAHAHA! :D

#Banana,
Naah, not yet. (I think.) ;) But I won't be too worried, you'll do fine without me! :)

#Viks,
I refuse to believe it till I see a photo (un-photoshopped please).

#Harshi,
Yaar I thought Nandu was also kidding! Ho bhi sakta hai, ladkon ka koi bharosa nahin, kabhi kabhi sach bol lete hain! ;)

#Jups,
Haha! Some of my shoes are my babies too! :P

#Rik,
//bad joke isn't it???

Very. :P

#Ashish,
Yes I am. :)

#Virdi,
Last time yaad hai kya bola tha? Grow up, baby.

#Keshi,
Oh, my Dad's car is also his baby! And his bonsais! :)

#Leon,
Yupp, that's the stuff! :)

Raj said...

My blog is the only baby i have, right now.
I even have big plans for its future. Buying a domain name, moving to wordpress.
Typical father stuff. :)

Sayesha said...

#Raj,
Wow, you've bigtime parenting plans! :)

#Vikram,
Nautanki mat kar. Email me a pic of you with your baby. Tab dekhenge! :)

Shobana said...

my goldfish is my baby! it so damn adorable..it been falling sick quiet often these days, and the fellow at the aquarium thinks i am nuts to take it there so often. he says throw it in the well, get a new one!:(
another baby of mine is this event i conceptualised for my college. it was a huge hit!and i still think of it as my baby...

Sayesha said...

#Viks,
//Mere upar itna bhi bharosa nahi? Thoda sa bhi nahi?

Good one, Vik! Kya joke mara! I really like your sense of humour! :D

#Rinku,
Thanks, babe! :)

#Jade,
Yeah, I can totally identify with events that are babies. Have organised a few of them myself, and will have always have a soft corner for them :)

Anonymous said...

Hahaa...haan Sayesha. Ya, ho sakta hai ke Vik "by chance" mazaak na kar raha ho.

Vik! - photo!!!!!!!

That'd be the Post-of-the-Year for me!! Vik with the baby leopard!!! Gosh! :-)

Sayesha said...

#Harshi,
Hahahahaha! :D

#Viks,
Stop talkin' man. Show us the stuff! :)

Manish Kumar said...

Don't we all have babies that are not our babies? Haven't we all felt that immense sense of affection (that almost chokes us at times) for certain people, certain things?

absolutely dear! so true
u always come with great posts.

Sayesha said...

Hey Manish,
Long time no see! :)
Thanks! :)

Shuuro said...

I want more babies, is there anyone who is willing to give their blog err...baby for adoption?.

Sayesha, Your creative work being your baby is nice, i like your concept but seriously i don't think you really mean it. What you are nurturing so fondly is part of yourself!, may be just being in love with yourself?. A baby has individuality and it evolves into distinct being over a course of time under our influence and but your thoughts are part of yourself and they evolve with your knowledge, so you wont get pleasure of watching it grow & also being unpredictable, as you would see in the case of real baby. i guess, we cannot confound meaning of life to such limited thing, being physically attached to a baby and carrying it in ourselves does evoke some new emotions which we may not experience now, thus creating stronger bond than we exhibit towards our creative work. So i think this comparison is unfair! :)

MeAwinner said...

Baby-mom talks......everybody is looking out for babies.. :O
I care about my little sis & always want to make sure that she is doing ok !

I love my laptop.. I can't do without it.. but still don't feel that i baby-sit my lapp.I just love to be with it :)
All moms-dads.. enjoy babying..or babies..

Sayesha said...

#Shuuro,
Of course all these things can never compare to a real baby. But like I said before, these are as close as single people can get to having a real baby. Till we actually have our own. :)

#Mani,
:)

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