I Journaled Wonder

I’ve been unlearning a lot lately. I’ve been anchoring myself to the present. It can’t be all happy and healthy. The destruction and clutter makes life livable. It makes it real. Words can describe how and science can describe why but emotions show it’s real.

The other day, I muted my online lecture and looked outside the window. Something I’ve been enjoying a lot lately. I was singing to the crow. I built a tiny house for them on the edge of the cracked cement plank outside the window grill. I’ve deep attachments with crows. They remind me of my late grandmother. She was someone I enjoyed spending time with, hearing about her childhood from and playing with my tweety.

Imagine a life, where we had all the answers. Where things weren't wrong or right. Where people weren't good or bad. Where we knew who created this universe and who made us humans. I wonder what life would be like. It reminds me of a beautiful quote by Sara Blakey, “Embrace what you don’t know especially in the beginning because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else".

Today, as I sit staring at my laptop, I turn 20 years old. I don’t believe in the concept of age. It creates unrealistic expectations of getting a job by 25 and marrying before 30. I look at it as the number of years the earth revolves around the sun. And what I do per revolution is so much different from someone born on the exact same day as me. So, why do I compare? Hurt myself feeling low and shattering my dreams due to crushed self esteem. Some days, if you be yourself and do what you enjoy while giving your best, there’s not only peace of mind but great contribution to the world. Productivity is a capitalist mindset. Content and mindfulness caters better to our hungry souls, I feel.

An opinion piece by Shraddha Menon

img source- Naba Kazi, NMIMS School of Design: @_kazi.art_