Looking Back

It's that day of the year again. Resolutions, promises to change, and parties to kickstart the ride. Surprisingly, I find a lot of people, cheerful all around, everywhere! It is humbling to witness how a random date, set as the "starting point" of the Earth's perennial revolution around the Sun, could collectively influence so many minds.

Let us not digress. Instead of piling on more hollow promises, I thought I would spare a moment and see how things have been. A little over two years back, I wrote this piece on my blog and called it my "Bucket List" (didn't realise back then that the phrase was reference to the idiom, kick the bucket or to die). Looking back, I am glad that I could cross out most of the points. Some ride it has been. Went places, learnt the guitar(mastery would have to wait), started reading again, hardly watch any movies these days (damn! a stupid idea. What was I thinking?), met amazing friends, let go of all the miseries and opened up my mind and yeah, found closure to a 6 year long dream (mmhmm!). All that with five months left to 25. 

It is interesting how the course of your life, and your priorities change in a matter of few years; just when I was starting think that you hardly change anymore after adulthood. Not just me, I have noticed the same with all my friends, even the most "inertial" ones yearn change. I keep getting proved wrong over and over again. Well, Forrest Gump, you were right. Life is a box of chocolates.

What next? Well, the way ahead is still foggy. The only way to find out is to try and set out on the journey. Uncertain times are exciting! As things settle down to normalcy, who knows, I might write down another Bucket List again.

So for now, Glückliches neues Jahr!

P.S: Although I'm fairly confident that the above translation makes sense, if it is wrong the blame goes to Google.

The Dive

I make it a point that I don't let my rage take control. We all come to a tipping point at times. My friends would know that I get pissed very rarely, and as far as my memories go, there were only handful of incidents. And I regret all of them. No good comes out of an angry head. It is never fun. All it leaves are scars for life. Well, as one of my friends quoted: "One who angers you, masters you." Can't agree more.

The more he looked, the more he saw pain in the world yonder.
Wakes up everyday, setting the weight on his shoulders aside,
Navigate from dawn to dusk and watch the sun subside.
Unwillingly, he chased the sunset of his own life.
One more day. One more day closer.

All he yearned was to spread smiles in the journey.
Unfazed by his heartbeats, he told them what they wished to hear.
Yet once a while, he observed the fake world near
Actors, manipulators, crooks, con-artists all around him.
How he wished he could make amends, into the way it should be.

He dived into calmness of the pool around him.

Words escaped his lips, before he thought it through.
Turns back to see chaos, delivered by his words, muddying the pool.
The dirt of his doing dripped down his back as he rose.
Things won't be the same, even in his dreams.

The audience around the pool sneered aloud.
"Lie, you should, if you seek your place in this show of clown faces,"
Worn he was of pretensions and so he lived on with his differences.
Mistaken by pride and principles, he might have been.
I ask you, my friend, would you have the courage to do the same?