Question Unanswered

Since childhood we have been writing letters. Purposes vary, situations vary, styles vary, even mode of writing varies but writing never discontinues and maybe this is the reason that every year, right from 5th standard (or maybe even before that) in each & every English exam, we are tested for writing letters. As we move on to higher class not only our methodology of writing letter ameliorates but also every other thing complementing it (obviously, after so many years of letter writing what else would one expect?).

Unfortunately or fortunately, it so happens that even when I've reached my second year of Degree College, I am still tested for writing letters. I was sitting in front of one of the teachers (or should I call them professors, now that I'm in college), ready to give my viva. She started with the typical questions of the viva. As time elapsed, I became more comfortable and answered more confidently (not that I was shocked by this). By now it had become more of chitchat than a formal viva. Then we came to a point where we started talking about the different layouts of a business letter.

Now anybody studying under the University of Pune, opting for a B.com degree and is in their second year and is referring to Sheth publications would surely know that there are 10 different layouts for writing a letter. When I told her this, she simply asked, "Aren't we making a mountain out of a mole?" Totally agreeing I said, "Yes, I guess we are."

She had asked me exactly the same question that I had been asking myself all the time while mugging the names and the ways of scripting the layout. But the answer to the question ' Why are we doing so?’ I hadn't figured out while I was learning, nor while the communication professor asked me & not even now, days after the exam is over.

Instead of adopting one single format, which everybody uses, we bring about 101 amendments in them and ultimately amalgamate 2 or more and create a number of totally new layouts. But what happens by the end of the day is that we only use one standard format and the rest all are only known to the people who study them (I wonder if even they know all the layouts!?!).

The question still arises in my mind every time I think about it. Why are we so keen in making our life so complicated? As if our life isn't complicated enough.

But as always the question remains unanswered . . .