PARADOX OF LIFE

It was in 1985, I joined a pharma company as a product and a training executive. It was a small south Indian company. There was not much work, and most days had little activity. I was in-charge of preparing Visual Aid. The ideas were generated by an elderly consultant, and I did the follow up. Then the company used to screen print the pages. I had to go to a printing press and decide the base color of pages, the color of the letters. Once this process was completed, we stuck appropriate photographs in space left empty for it. Later the different pages were compiled in a given sequence, and spiral bound on hard board, and protected by a plastic sheet. The book was ready to be used. The representatives of the company used this book to detail the products to the doctors, who in turn prescribed the medicines, to patients.

 Slowly the screen printing was replaced by single color offset printing. It was a new field. I had to learn new techniques. The artist had artworks prepared on white boards, and had a trace paper flap, covered by a  color paper flap.

Now we needed to know the color code of printing, that is cyan yellow magenta and black. If we needed a brand name in red, we had to mark over the trace paper, the percentage of red as yellow 100 and magenta 100. All colors were converted to mathematical percentages, and over a period of time I could convert any color to it nearest percentages.

To create the page, I was involved in all steps. Idea generation, model sourcing, photography of models to depict the idea, copy write, color coding, positive making, plate making,  printing, lamination, gold foiling, and finally spiraling. I was very much satisfied, with the know how, and with the way my career was going.

Slowly the single color printing was replaced by the four color machines, which were more efficient. Then it was upgraded to a computer controlled printing machine. Positive making was skipped to direct plate making.

Then the art work was generated directly on the computer. We did not need to shoot photos anymore, as we could download visuals directly from the net. Negative photography was replaced by digital photos.  Artists, laid to rest their paint, brushes and spray guns. Work which used to take weeks to complete, could be done within days, thanks to technology.

All the knowledge I had gained so far, were now outdated, once again thanks to technology. Artist lost their income to the younger tech savvy generations. Professional photographers  changed their profession, as there was no demand anymore. Screen printing totally died somewhere on the way.

The latest tech, being detailing with the help of a Tab.

I shifted totally to  training. All changes in 30 years. All in a small life time.

As my friend used to  say,” You either lose to competition or technology.”

We lose our young age in learning a trade.   Once, we get employed, we do not get the time to catch up changing technology, and one day are caught in a cross road, where what we know is useless, and we cannot proceed because we are outdated. Then of course there is inflation, alimony, disease, treatment cost , old age, debility, helplessness and thankfully death. Quiet a paradox. 

I have 2 quotes, both of them from 2 different types of people.

 One who is not able to fight the change.....

“It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair.” ― Taylor Swift

And the other who still has strength and age on his side....

 “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” ― Paulo Coelho,