Who Owns My Jewelry, Certainly Not Me!

 This little word, jewelry, gives me so many thoughts – diamonds, I so love them, I am in awe of them like every other woman on planet Earth! Jewelry -- what about the loads of oversized gold sets that I received at my wedding? It again puts my mind to work. Given I am not drawn to such things, how about if I sell these and get something I like with the money?! How about an off-road? Surely something to die for!!

Jewelry is a matter of personal choice and preference, reflection of an individual's personality. Being a minimalist, my jewelry routine usually consists of two rings, an engagement ring and another dainty one on the other hand and watches, no necklaces or earrings. I do wear studs on and off. I wonder where does that all heavy stuff fit in my life? Nowhere! I have worn them not more than twice or thrice in my entire married life. What would I do with all the chunky sets that have been tucked away in the safety of the bank lockers?  

I would have loved being given a choice or at least asked if I really wanted to have those. But you know what, I myself had no clue that all that loads of money invested in those oversized yellow and white metals would be of no value to me. Because it is not me who owns it, it is my bank safe that really owns it!! Can’t agree more that it has just been a waste of money, well, at least from my point of view!

Oh Lord! If only had I known this earlier! But hey, could have I been able to alter anything? Absolutely no chance, because of our age-old big fat Indian weddings and the social stigma attached to it. It is all connected to the social status of the families involved rather than the functionality and utility of it.

There is a big request I want to make especially to all the Indian parents worldwide that before investing such huge amounts of money, the hard-earned money, in things like jewelry for your children, please make sure they are actually going to use it. Ask if they desire or dream of something else that matters to them that needs funding. Would not that be a huge help to them? Or if you have to splurge on jewelry itself, do that on the kind of jewelry they would actually wear, not on something to be bequeathed, to pass from one generation to another.

Given a choice now I would happily get all that cashed and buy a sports car for myself (I am a car freak!) or would go on a month long Europe trip with my travel crazy husband! Do I sound like I am born with some kind of an anomaly?!

But it is not a cakewalk. I know it is my jewelry but I am not the owner in its true sense. It seems to be more of an investment thing in our investment portfolio. Like the other homely things, we all own it jointly.

Dear parents, can we just let go of the antediluvian customs? I fail to understand why we have to follow everything blind-folded? For the sake of society? Can’t we just do things that suit us more with some variations here and there?

I believe we should keep modifying rules and regulations, customs and traditions with the changing times to live a happier and soothing life. Isn’t that living all about?

Let us take note from Charles Darwin’s Evolution Theory. We, Homo sapiens, have evolved from apes. Had not we, we would still have been apes. If us humans, animals and birds can evolve over time, then why not our customs? Aren’t they too becoming obsolete? Why are we so tied to them?

                                                                                

Having said that, I also believe that customs and traditions are what keep us rooted to our culture and we should not forget our origin and where we belong to but at the same time the same customs and traditions sometimes restrict us from being ourselves, injecting complexities in our lives. It is us who have created them. It is us who abide by them and it is us who need to modify them. Do give it a thought ladies and gentlemen and let us strive to make our lives happier, easier and simpler!