You Know What...Thank You.

A friend of mine was kind enough to send this in of us when we were back in early 2002 and I have to say, the picture really did make my day. Not that it had an immediate effect, or that I got to think about it too much as I was already in the process of “blurring the lines” between the state of being awake and asleep. The only word that I could muster at that time was:

Pramila.

It was only natural that she stood out from the picture. She passed away in 2006, a time when we were both preparing for SLC. It came at a very bad timing as well, if I am not wrong, just after Aaditya’s passing and it epitomized a time when life was getting mentally difficult. Death is something I don’t seem to deal with very well. The concept is hard to swallow; the person is there one day and then ceases to exist the next.

However, by removing the focus on her and changing the perspective to the larger picture, the gloominess that once shrouded it slowly fades away. At that point, I was really naïve to think that I was the center of the universe and other kids meant nothing. Although I do flirt with the concept in present day world as well, I am much more aware that the center of the universe lies, sadly, elsewhere, and not on my belly. Although I would have loved to have MIT scientists hunt my ass and claim to the media that I represented the origins of planets and stars…never mind. I am not sure if I make sense anymore.

Anyways, the picture came as a kind reminder of how far off we have come from that faithful day. Even though it has been just over a decade, we have come to mature in our own ways, have made decisions on what direction our lives should take and have, in a way, understood that growing up sucks. Going about being extremely naïve was fun. You can’t afford to do so now.

A lot of people have put effort in me to become this imperfect person that I have become and to all those people that I come to meet over those years who have shaped my behavior and the understanding of human kind and to all those who have come to hate or like me, I would like to say, thank you.

You know, before it’s all too late.