Year 2003
'Will you please get out already?'
He easily
could have been a very fine actor if not a resort owner. His eyes were calm,
though I knew they could spit the volcano of anger at me. At the same time, his
words were plain and absent of any emotion. Obviously, he was a well behaving
gentleman, 'You don't have any respect for anyone. I can't stand it. That's why
I request you to step outside my office.'
***
Year 2018
'Where are you, man? The whole unit's been
waiting for you?' It was my third call and the first one that was received by
him and that too after many calls from other unit members in between.
'Just ten minutes, sir! I am leaving,' he
spoke as if my call was disturbing him while getting ready.
'Are you still at home? Then it's surely
not ten minutes. Half an hour minimum,' I was clearly annoyed.
'I'll reach, sir! Don't worry!!'
I cut the phone in despair and announce to
my unit waiting with me from past fifteen minutes, 'Let's have some tea.'
***
In the first incident, it was me who was
asked to get out politely. I was a freelance copywriter then. In short my skill
was converting into a business and I was supposed to act like a businessman did.
Every creative has a subtle ego though very few admit and flaunt it. I didn't
know that I also had one. In fact, my needs compelled me to become a freelancer.
But there seemed to be a need of a writer, good or bad, who could come to you
and deliver as per your brief. This was especially with the small design houses
who couldn't afford a full time writer on their payroll. And there were
agencies who didn't have much work for a language writer. In short, I had
something to write from the month I announced myself as a writer.
People used to call up on my landline and I
would go to them to take brief. Emails weren't much preferred for brief though
I used to send the assignments via email. The creative process was still the
same. An accounts executive would get in the brief and then the creative team
including visualisers, copywriters and graphic artists would brainstorm around
an idea. Everyone would take their time and prepare the artwork. A copywriter
had to submit his work first as they do it even today since everything starts
with writing.
During my time as a copywriter on payroll,
I had experienced the egos and tantrums the creative guys used to throw. With
due respect to their work, the air was absolutely uncalled for on many
occasions.
'You've to do it if you want to keep them
in check,' one of such ego-maniac creatives had mentioned it over a glass of
rum. Yeah, they essentially drank Old Monk.
That advice stuck with me and I started sprinkling
it as an when required. I could sense that my work was getting approved.
Approval is appreciation in advertising. And my phone rang more often. I worked
really hard to keep up the pace. I used to burn midnight oil. But still,
sometimes I couldn't deliver an assignment on time. First few days, I used to
apologise and move ahead. My clients also wouldn't mind it once in a while.
Ignorance towards your mistake pampers your
ego. It happened very subtly. I started prioratise on my own. Every deadline in
advertising is dead yesterday. You need to be real quick, yet extremely
creative. I started taking my own time and skip the deadlines. I also began to
avoid meetings and getting the brief on phone. Not every time, it was possible.
They expressed their disagreement and my swelled ego didn't allow it to
penetrate through my senses.
Sometimes, freelancer visualisers would refer
me directly to the clients and I had to take brief directly from them. These
people were not much used to deal with creatives. I was referred to one such
client who started a resort in Panchagani. He was a US returned young
businessman. The first meeting was great and he seemed very happy with my work.
I also had a feeling that this would go well. I
received the brief well in advance and I took royal time to finish the work
which he granted. But I kept it last on the priority list and it sat there for
so long. He called up twice to remind. I asked for more time. I finished
writing, way past his deadline. I was so sure that he was needy and would
accept my writing.
I stepped into his office unannounced and
presented my work with pride. He didn't even bother to look at it and asked me
to get out as I have mentioned in the incident at the beginning. He could have
been my client and I could earn a piece of my bread n butter from him. But the
transaction didn't take place. Though he sealed the fate of my transaction, It
was I who wrote the fate of our business together which ended then and there.
He didn't have any writer. Still, he didn't
take my work and refused to even talk to me. It was new to me. Nobody had ever
reacted in that way. I was furious at first with the insult. Slowly, my
conscience started breaking my shallow ego. I started accepting my fault. And
then things were so simple. I made it a point not only to deliver on time but
also to reach on or even before time.
Now, my problems began. Not every Indian we
meet is like that particular client. I tend to reach in time and expect the person
I am supposed to meet to check his watch. Unfortunately, most of them don't. I
hate it when people don't even have any regret for being late.
Why I remembered the first incident because
I faced a similar situation recently. It was my cameraman who was super late
for the shooting. The worst part was we had to leave for outstation and he was
coming with his camera. We didn't have any spare camera. Plus we had to finish
that shoot on the same day. So, we had to go, otherwise I could have either
left without him or cancel the schedule. Unfortunately, we didn't have any
choice to kill time over a couple of cups of tea and that's what we did.
People don't realise that whenever they
come late, they actually insult others who are present on time. They have
plenty of reasons for being late - traffic is the most favourite of all. We
live in a metro where we have more number of vehicles than its population. So, traffic
jams are inevitable. You can start early. But then these people have another
problem, they can't understand the time, distance and speed formula barring the
unforeseen hazards. Those who live in Pune would understand the irony if
someone tells you that he will reach Deccan Gymkhana in 10 minutes from Dhayari
in Sinhagad Road. That's not even possible at 2 am where there are hardly any
vehicles on streets.
I believe that being punctual is the first
impression you make even before the person could see how you talk and walk or how
well dressed you are. And one can understand if you are late by five minutes.
Plus you have mobile phones these days. You can always send a text if you feel
that you might reach late.
I too am still trying to reach on time
every time. The first thing I do, if I am late, is apologise for being late and
then start a conversation. Sometimes, I receive a pleasant response, sometimes
I don't get pardon. But at least I do my part.
There have been so many incidences from
2003 to 2018 of people not being punctual. I could see my cameraman standing now
where I was standing in 2013. It's not that he's bitten by ego. In fact he's
very polite, to the extent he shouldn't be. But he may be taking things
lightly. But next time, I may have a spare camera and I may leave without him
or the next time he might meet someone like my client and learn his lesson. I
genuinely don't want it to happen with my young cameraman friend. I described
him my habit changing epic insult.
I remember the 'Importance of time' quotes
I read somewhere.
What is the importance of time?
ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer with kids to feed.
ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Hope my cameraman understands and hope others
too understand the pain of the people who reach in time, every time.
