At the Age of....

So yesterday’s hot news has Nichananda err Nityananda quitting the supreme post of the Dhyanapeetam and the tennis star will be getting married to someone else. Only time will tell whether the Swamy is completely out of peetam and whether the marriage will ever happen, but the ultimate truth of the day was that my cake had 25 candles.

Each candle has a learning year wise. As I blew them off with rain god showering the blessings on me, here is what I think each of them symbolize.

At the Age of ...

1. I learnt to smile. A smile would make people love and cajole me. I would get all their attention in spite of them being busy. It specially would ease all the tension dad came home with and made mom relax after a day’s long work.

2. I learnt to talk: People who knew me close (& also my teachers) never forget to remember this year. Initially everyone liked the blabbering but once the years passed, they had questions like “why does she talk so much?”

3. I learnt to walk: Actually followed “put oneself in someone's shoes” even before the quote was heard. My favorite pastime would be wearing footwear of the guests who visited us, & if they were even 1% uncomfortable, I would just throw them up the terrace and later blamed the act on the crows.

4. I learnt to act: Displaying how badly my stomach ached so that I skip school, crying hard to get those tears so that grandma would rescue me from the clutches of bashing mom and slurping/relishing the milk to show that milk was consumed al though it went right into the drain.

5. I learnt to wash: No Comments

6. I learnt to share: Being the first kid and center of attraction, I never had any chance to share. That was when a little angel entered my life. Distributing parent’s love and their time between her and me, provided a new dimension for the word “Share”.

7. I learnt to love: Of all the years I had only taken love and never had a chance to give. This was the year of giving love and care to the kiddo who was the only one younger, at home.

8. I learnt to write: More details here.

9. I learnt to lead: Monitor for a mischievous flock of students at class was cool. But representing the whole class for the follies in front of the head master was a very big deal.

10. I learnt to be tough: It was not a good sight to see grandma weeping for the sudden demise of her young son. Grandpa who held her strong, taught me a great lesson that year.

11. I learnt to be intelligent: Considering the school I studied didn’t offer me much I decided to change it. This was the first step of my intelligence.

12. I learnt to console: Mother is 99% responsible of the kid’s behavior and future; it can be filled by none other than a daughter. This was the year to fill up the absence my mom suffered and I did it quite well.

13. I learnt to be a girl: After being the tomboy of the family, this year I learnt was made to learn feminism. Rest of the stuff like Sensitivity, Shopping Saga, Being Emotional, Fashion consciousness, Mess creation, Attitude followed.

14. I learnt the truth: That 3 letter word and the whole process, the 4 letter word and its usage, my vocabulary improved big time.

15. I learnt to move on: 6 years in school and good social behavior had made a gang of common interests’ individuals. School was done; Different college, different career subjects welcomed us by parting us apart.

16. I learnt to be free: Bunking classes, going to first day first shows, getting caught, long rides, quick picnics with new friends all were done.

17. I learnt to deal stress: 12th exams not only has career conclusion but it comes with lot of extra deals. Too much of cramming pupils around who made you feel that you would flunk the exam, tuitions that ate 8 hours in the weekdays and 12hrs in the weekends, regular classes, unit tests, form fill ups, pre & preparatory, CET confusion etc. You must have done a rewind?!

18. I learnt to be responsible: the adulthood attained has to be used wisely. Right from choosing a good not-bad politician to observing the blue color. All had to be done very much in private responsibly.

19. I learnt to socialize: Visiting the internet parlours to learn about the internet (emailing, chatting, and browsing) and then making friends at the www world. Sometimes building great rapport and then be part of a lovely just blossomed relationship.

20. I learnt to plan: About the life ahead, what job should be taken, where to move, how to convince parents, what the future will behold. Tons of questions asked, & answers for all were found.

21. I learnt to play: Basket ball, Throw ball, Carom, Chess, Safe!!! You get the point?

22. I learnt to be independent: Finding a job, sustaining in the new industry, growing well and earning along. No more pocket money and extra tuition fess, it was the year of financial independence.

23. I learnt to forgive: Destiny is above all. When the going got tough, the tough got going; I was asked to forgive and forget. The first was somehow done but later never happened.

24. I learnt to compromise: Single status never asks for anything. It listens to you, obeys you and follows you. But changing family will ask you for something very important and if you cannot give a 100% of it, the 3 knot relationship can fail. Yes compromise it is.

25. This year I guess I will learn to LIVE. For myself, coz ultimately if I am happy and I keep smiling, others will too…


With the rain asking everyone to chill on the day, a quarter has passed and cheers to that!!!