I met an old friend this weekend.  He was going out of the country for a while, so we decided to catch up before he left.

As we got talking about what he’s been up to, it occurred to me that so far he’s lived a pretty enviable life: 

He’s been a bachelor all his life, and has travelled extensively across the globe.  Never one to plan for the future, he got admission in an engineering college because a friend’s mother applied on his behalf. He wasn’t keen on taking up a job soon after graduation, and found himself enrolled in a Masters’ program.  A chance conversation with a friend landed him a plum posting with a leading computer firm.  And, some years down the line, a few posts he wrote on his personal blog ensured that a top entrepreneur called him to India to help him with a fledgling project. 

These days, he’s busy formulating theories on how to change the world with a revolutionary approach to education, and attending panel discussions in his spare time!  Isn’t that enviable?

Now, don’t get me wrong.  He’s got what it takes – A first rate educational background, a Ph.D degree from a highly respected institution in the US and some (controversial) papers to his credit.  Yet, whenever he feels like it, he enjoys the luxury of packing up his bags and leaving for the States to ‘take a break’ for a couple of months. 

As I expressed these thoughts to him, this weekend, I was a bit taken aback with his response.  He actually envied my life!

“You have a home”, he said.  “And, someone to come home to.  You know what you’ll be doing in 3 years time.  And where you’ll be sleeping tonight.” 

As ‘free’ as his life was, it did not come with these benefits we call ‘ties’.  He envied those who had the companionship of a soulmate.  He envied those who had a place they could call ‘home’.

I couldn’t argue with that.  Can you?