10 years of Mishmi Takin

20 years ago, when me and my wife were poor graduate students living in Cambridge & Boston, we did not have a car and were reliant on the public transport. We used to visit an Indian temple in Framingham. We and another Indian friend would walk all the way from Mission Hill to Back Bay station and take the commuter train to Framingham. The train took about an hour. We would get down at the Framingham downtown station and then again walk about 2 miles to the temple. We would offer our prayers to the gods at the temple, pay our obeisances, and eat the prasadam (food that has been offered to the gods). After spending some time at the temple, we would again walk back to the train station. There used to be an Indian restaurant, Udupi, at the train station. We would have our lunch there. After all the walking, the lunch felt heavenly. We would then take the train back to Backbay and walk back to our apartments. The whole enterprise was a full day affair, and we really enjoyed the day spent in company with close friends. 

 

After I finished my graduate degree, I found a job in the Waltham area. It was also accessible by public transport, so I spent some more time without a car. After about a year, I got a new job in Stoneham. It was a little too far and I finally bought a car. 

 

Once the car was there, we made another trip to the temple. This time, we hopped into the car, drove to Framingham while carrying on our typical conversation and got to the temple in about 45 minutes. We did our prayers, drove to the Indian restaurant, had our lunch and drove back home. The whole thing was done in about 3 hours.  

 

Once we were back in Boston, we had a strange feeling. We had done the same thing we used to do earlier - we went to the temple and ate at the same restaurant, however the trip did not register. We could not feel the trip. We did not get the same feeling we used to get earlier. It felt empty. 

 

The difference in how we felt about the two trips made me realize something. Typically, we believe that we put in effort in things that are meaningful to us. However, I realized that this is not unidirectional. The reverse is true as well. When we put effort into something, then that thing acquires meaning just because of the effort. The more the effort we put in something, the more meaning it acquires. Something may start as meaningless, but it is no longer meaningless after effort has been put into it. The second trip was too easy and lost its meaning. The first trip was harder and felt fulfilling precisely because it was harder and required more physical & emotional effort. In a way, this is the difference between earning a million dollars compared to winning a million-dollar lottery. As the cliché goes, it really is about the journey and not just the destination. 

 

Earlier this year, in March 2024, we completed 10 years of Mishmi Takin. (I know, this email is about 9 months late). It has been a long journey. Despite being bootstrapped and heavily resource crunched, we experienced award winning moments, survived multiple near-death moments, had multiple moments when there was no reason to continue but we did, lived through covid, post covid disruptions and the ever-changing business landscape. The progress at times has felt slow. It felt as if we have been walking a long time. However, thanks to your continued love and support we are still here. We have not reached the destination yet, but we continue to walk.

 

This holiday season, we are thankful for the journey we have had and for your support along the way. We would not want it any other way. 

 

Seasons Greetings. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance. Enjoy the time with friends and family. In the end, it is the moments spent together with loved ones in this journey called life that matter. 

Regards,
Kapil

P:S – We are nearing the end of the season and most of the holiday shopping is done. However, if you missed getting something and still need it, we are celebrating our 10 years with a $75 off. Use the code MISHMI$75. The code is valid till Jan 15th, 2025.

 

P:P:S - In another news, We started with another retailer in 2024 - R&C Adventure Footwear in La Grande, OR. If you happen to live near La Grande on Oregon, Washington and Idaho border, check them out.