Recently, I spoke to someone who has known me since childhood.
An accomplished and respected elder.
He knew that I had started my career many years ago as a lecturer.
Then he asked, not once but three times:
“So, are you still that lecturer, or have you achieved something more?”
I didn’t react. I simply changed the topic.
Not because I didn’t have an answer.
But because some questions are better observed than answered.
I am a teacher at heart.
Not a celebrity. Not chasing labels.
But coming from a small town, a Marathi-medium background, and building a life in academia, that is not “just” anything.
Today, I don’t seek validation.
But I do notice this.
If someone is truly curious about another’s journey, it takes very little to understand it today.
A simple search. A thoughtful follow-up. Or even a kind acknowledgment.
Sometimes, the way we ask a question reveals more about us than the answer ever will.
My father used to say:
There are two kinds of people. Those who grow older, and those who truly grow up.
The difference lies in respect, awareness, and empathy.
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