Life

We all love our parents don't we? And of course, our parents loved their parents didn't they? Then I have one question; why were old age homes invented?

Sure everything revolves around money today. That's a fact. Fact fact fact. Am sure Mr Gradgrind from Charles Dickens' 'Hard Times' would be so proud of me for saying this. No emotions involved...just a mechanical life: Go to work, make money, come home, eat, shit, sleep, wake up the next day and do it all over again.

Has it never occurred to the kids who dump their parents in old age homes that their parents could have dumped them in an orphanage as well? Or left them on the streets? But they didn't! They took care of you; when you lied, they scolded you; when you were down, they encouraged you; when you hurt yourself, they took care of you. How do you have the heart to dump someone who gave birth to you? Who brought you into this world? Who made you who you are today?

Life is too short to live mechanically. It's the small things in life we need to appreciate. It's the people in our lives who make a difference. I learned recently:

"One day, you need to have someone with
whom you can look back at these memories..."
Photograph by: Tanushree Dwivedi

It took time, but I learnt to live.

However be the days, I have learnt to live,

Now I have known this, what's happiness and what's sorrow;

Both are weathers of two moments;

Neither they wait nor stay.

Life gets made of two colours, 

Now angry, now placated.

This, this is here...

- Der lagi lekin maine ab hai jeena seekh liya, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Learn to live, yes. Seize the moment, yes. Make memories, yes. But never do these things alone. One day, you need to have someone with whom you can look back at these memories. Family, friends, strangers, lovers...everyone means something at some point in your life. 

Love, Marriage and all that

Recently, my sister and I were talking about marriage. She told me, "You have to get married. But not early." And I was like "Cool cool." all chilled. Then she says, "Find a guy from Canada! Then we can live together." And I was like "Cool cool."

Again, I have a cool mother. She said, "Anu, please find yourself a boyfriend." And I was like "Cool cool." (Bet you guessed my reaction). Mom continued, "But he has to be Hindu, Brahmin, Iyer if possible, okay?"

Sigh. Do you fall in love with specifications? It's not like I am going to ask the guy before I fall in love with him, "Are you Iyer? Do you live in Canada?" I'll just fall in love. I am not going to fall in love with him because of his geographical location but because of his personality; how he is as a person, how he treats me, what he likes, what we share in common and so on.

I recently read a quote:

"Much of the pain in life comes from having a life plan that you've fallen in love with, and when it doesn't work out, you become angry that you now have to pursue a new life plan. If you want to tame your inner demons, you must not become too attached to any particular life plan, and remain open to there being an even better, happier life plan."

Therefore, I cannot plan who I fall in love with. I can just fall in love.

Having said that, the rate at which I am going, I will eventually end up marrying someone my parents choose for me anyway. So this blogpost is for people who still believe they can find someone on their own :P Peace and love to one and all :)