The Change

 Part 1:

When I got in to this business, inherited from my father, it was natural decision as per the expected tradition of those days in 1970’s. It was good for me as well since I was not much interested to study further nor get in to work elsewhere.

Before moving in to this business completely, I used to visit shop after school and help my father. It’s a traditional grocery store you will find any locality across India, serving most of the household goods to regular customers.

Customers, I need to talk about them. They are the reasons for me surviving in this business for so many decades. I have seen many of the kids visiting shops holding hands of their grandparents asking (rather, demanding) for chocolates , growing up , learnt cycling, coming independently in it,for pulses and grains, followed by visiting with their spouses, later with their kids.

For nearly fifty years I have seen generations of such family members whom I treated as my extended family and vice versa. I was invited to their family occasions, part of their sorrows and happiest moments.

For many customers I was the go to person for instant materials without money. I used to maintain a note book, entering the items they bought and beginning of the month the elder used to settle the accounts. No arguments- No doubts, it was trust we had on each other.

This shop also gave me life, I built a small house nearby, married and got my son educated. I should indeed be grateful to my father for building this base and handed over to me which settled me.

As my son started going to college, he showed curiosity in art and wanted to become artist. Though he used to help me in the shop, I didn’t want to stop & forcing him to get in to my shoes.

There is another reason why I didn’t stop – the growth of big stores and malls in my neighborhood. It started attracting the new generations because of range of options they got and I sensed, one day my business will shut down for sure, let me not put my son in to this and make him face uncertainty.

Thus he chose to become artist ten-fifteen years ago. He started getting assignments to do designs, sketches and illustrations for various purposes and I am proud of the imagination he can bring life with human touch.

As expected few years ago, my business has gone down significantly. Not only due to big stores but the quick delivery by large companies, sending everything and anything to the door steps in few minutes.

The customers whom I had seen growing, have moved on to different locations. Their houses have given space for multi floor flats and most of them don’t even know about my shop’s existence.

I know the days are counted for, my shop…….

Part 2:

When I told my father I want to become an artist instead of shopkeeper like him, I expected him to resist and object. He must have dreamt of me getting in to some full time job or run his business. But surprisingly he encouraged me and I am ever grateful to that.

When I started this artistic work few years ago, I was very busy with new assignments. My work got highly appreciated by customers for the creativity I was delivering. My work had human touch, expressions and colorful thoughts. Each assignments were taking many days to complete, patiently illustrating what customers wanted through my imagination. There was no hurry to deliver and allowed me to be on my best. This business also gave me recognition in various forums and awards.   

Indeed it was blessed life to do what I wanted to do in life.

Got married and blessed with a kid, was leading a happy life along with my parents and yes, my father still running his business which may close any day.

But, the world is crashing around me. The dream life I was leading is getting ready to be collapsed.

Yes, they say change is the only constant and I am in midst of it.

The advent of AI has taken away my work drastically. The customers who were waiting for days to get my design and art work are happy with their new found love called AI which gives them instant illustrations.

I never imagined this day will come, to lose my Original Intelligence to an Artificial Intelligence sitting inside a system.

I have seen that work generated through the system. It is good and astonishing but they are not able to see the human touch to the designs I delivered in it, off course customers are not interested in it, since they are able to save time and get the work done.

My business is falling so as my fathers shop. He thought our family is safe even if his business fails due to my different work area, but who imagined this day might come.

Both of us have realized, only constant in life is “THE CHANGE”.