Run Shalini Run....!!!!

This question has time and again flooded my mind. I am yet to find answers to it. It has been asked several times before too. So it’s nothing new that I am questioning. It is human nature to question. Had he not questioned we would not be flying over vast stretches of water, exploring the universe and discovering means to cure the once incurable diseases.

So today I ask myself where am I? What am I doing here? Is it worthwhile to run after something we ‘think’ we know what and where it is? But the reality is man wants to keep going after one thing or the other. He/she might live under the disbelief that they need to work harder to achieve more. Has there ever been a time when I might have told myself, well enough of trudging or sprinting, let’s slow down and smell the roses. Never!

Goal-oriented as we might label ourselves. At every stage in life we have different goals. As a child you wanted to be the best athlete in your school or be the topper of your class. Some wanted to be a dance performer or a singer when they grew up. With change in time priorities and goals change. What doesn’t change is man’s quest for achieving more! I do not say that is wrong. It is absolutely important as the quest to do better lies at the core of the growth and success of a person.

What I fail to understand is when will this quest ever end? How much more successful do you want to be? I want to be finish school and live upto my parents’ expectations. So I work harder each day and hope I can do better the next day as well. I keep upto speed with all the things going around me, taking care of errands, responsibilities and chores. I also do not fail to take time out for friends and my dear ones. Even if it takes two minutes of my busy schedule to speak to them over the phone or a line of email, I would do that. Yet at the end of the day, there remains a void. What is that I am missing? I come home to an empty house everyday, that which I call “home”. I strive to do better so that I can go home, the real home to my parents and siblings. How justified is this strife to keep running when what matters to you most is far away from you? I look for warmth and love around me. Is there any? Well yes if you are one lucky bum, you have the love and care of your friends. Yet there is a void unfilled!

Every morning I muster all courage within me and start another day. Another run after something known, oh well unknown! Call me a lil thinker. I wouldn’t disagree. Yet my questions remain unanswered. I hope I don’t turn into a philosopher anytime soon!

So I end it on this note –

But I have promises to keep,

And Miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep!

Is there love in the air?

Love can’t be as complex as it seems. I am moved to think about it this Valentine’s Day. I would have never given it such a serious thought as I am giving it today had I not discussed it lately with someone many lengths. I was surprised to find out how much thought I had already put into it and never realized it.

So, as the Valentine’s Day approaches there is a sudden whorl of euphoria in which everyone is caught up. Commercialized to the power of infinity as is this day, the euphoria seems to increase exponentially as the day nears. (Well does that jargon suggest I am an Engineer? We can’t help but analyze everything mathematically) Pink is the color! Hearts float all around. The love bug seems to have bitten the majority of the populace. People seek out for their girlfriend/boyfriend to spend the day with them and make it a special memory for their partner.

In this sudden surge to find the “one” and in this age of commercialization, the essence of the day seems to have been lost along the way. Some people just want to celebrate it for the heck of a date and to keep up the hype and be one of the crowd. Everyone is celebrating so why not ME? But do you wonder ever why we need to celebrate today?

So what is love? Why do we need one special day to remind everyone about it? Aren’t there other 364 days to express your-self? Why does the clichéd question – “So what’s your plan for V-day?” is thrown over and over again as if it’s Diwali, Holi, Christmas or your Birthday? All I do is smile and wonder.

Let’s try to analyze the many facets and sides to this emotion. Love is what bonds a family together, that’s what you share with your parents and siblings. It is that the friends shower on you. The care they show for you is also a form of love. (or is it just care? Or they care because they love? ) It is also the feeling that binds you to your spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend. But the inherent question is still unanswered, what is this feeling? Why the latter form of it is so much speculated about?

There are singles out there that are still waiting to find someone or are consciously looking around to find their love. Many of them would like to go with the flow and are prepared to meet someone, know them and just fall in love. There are some who just want to have fun and have short-term relationship and have a good time and move on. There is also a certain subset that loves to be loved, but unfortunately they can’t find anyone to love them. These people fall in love easily only to realize that it was just a dream they were living, it wasn’t love or may be it was. So move on!

For many there are certain criteria to which their guy/girl must fit into. But the golden question is – Will you be lucky enough to find someone that will fit perfectly into that? Well some will say I will wait till I find that One. (So the next pressing issue will be - for how long do you plan to wait??) Others say, there HAS to be someone like that and I am determined to find them. The methodology adopted could be questionable too while looking around (they want to just look at the guy/girl and make presumptions. Why can’t they give them a chance and try to know them better?)

At the same time some people fail to look beyond the looking, finding and waiting to see that there might be someone already madly in love with them right under their nose. The expectations sort of blind them to the care and love they might already be receiving from someone. This is human nature. We look far beyond and not around us. Humans are futuristic aren’t they? Sometimes we need to get practical and appreciate what we already have than to just keeping exploring more options. While we look away we might be aware of the concern and care from that person and thinking they will be always around, take them for granted. In this taking for granted, always being there attitude they might loose them along the way.

So the nature of love is open to and subjected to many interpretations. This is just a small portion of it that stormed my head and I was forced to pen it down. The large number of books, articles floating around especially today regarding this topic will have heck lot more ideas. Those of you who would read this might agree or disagree with me for sure. Everyone has opinions and that is why we are individuals.

So keep the love flowing and never stop yourself from expressing your love either in actions or words. It doesn’t matter. What matters are your feelings! To those it will matter will be the “One”.

Cheers and smile it’s Valentine’s Day!