Musk comes visiting

I am very proud of my daughter Leena (her name, school and workplace information have been changed to protect her privacy).

- BASAB DASGUPTA

She is very smart and has all three proverbial graces of Greek Mythology. She attended an Ivy League school for undergraduate education, went to Harvard medical school, married an Indian classmate and got a job at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Washington DC; a federal job implied life-long job security. She has two wonderful children and lives in a nice house in the upscale town of Silver Springs, Maryland. I often joke that she could not help it because she got her DNA from me.

However, I knew that my joke lacked complete validity. Unlike me, Leena has a very compassionate side from her teenage years. Instead of going into traditional STEM subjects, she wanted to do something good for mankind. It was this mindset that propelled her towards a medical profession. I wanted her to study physics like me. Frankly, I wondered if the long path of becoming a doctor and the stress associated with hard work at all hours of night and day were really worth it. She was determined.

Even as a student, she participated in activities like organizing AIDS walks and attending "alternate spring breaks" which involved working with handicapped communities in some way instead of frolicking on Florida beaches and drinking alcohol.

Happily, my concerns turned out to be unfounded. The fact that her husband is also a doctor certainly helped in easing out stress and maintaining a peaceful domestic life. Her job at NIH is both prestigious and secure.

My relationship with Leena took a turn for the worse in 2016 with the election of Donald Trump. I have no hesitation or embarrassment in declaring that I am a staunch supporter of Trump. Leena passionately hated Trump and was devastated by Hillary Clinton's loss in the election. We had a number of vigorous and often loud debates on the merits of the two leaders. The debates never seemed to have an end as both of us stood firm.