Scruffy

Expectations are how the devil gets his dues. If you set about fulfilling other people's expectations of you, your own expectations of yourself are likely to take a backseat. On the flip side, meeting your own expectations of yourself is not enough either. They leave you vulnerable to failing the expectations of what others think you should be.

This Sunday's Indian Express article makes a pitch for not seeking perfection and the ability to revel in the scruffiness of being. A noble cause and saver of anxiety pill bills that is. In seeking to hide flaws, we often raise greater suspicion on the lines of "Tum itnaa jo muskura rahein ho, kyaa gumm hai jisko chhipaa rahein ho [With a smile so broad, what sorrow do you seek to conceal?]"

Scruffy Way of Life, Sun, 03-Nov-2024, IE

But I cannot seem to separate the word from the image of a furry mountain mongrel, unkempt and untrained, slightly stinky but completely free. The article is structured around the obsession (of many of us) around presenting a idealized home when folks come calling. While I can honestly claim to have no such passion, the guilt that comes with having someone visit my house and just glance around is proof enough that I am not as immune to societal norms as I would like to be. Not that the next time a guest comes around they find my residence sparkling clean and maniacally organized but a temporary fever does at least induce me to organize a shelf or two to soothe my social conscience. 

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