Okay, so this may not normally be what everyone else is thinking. But we all are entitled to our own opinion and I guess it won't take me more than a blog post to express mine. I usually write posts about a particular topic that I am passionate about and if you are really lucky, they actually take just over three minutes to read.
However, TODAY is not about swallowing books, unworldly fanaticism or fictional characters. Today is about reflection, and actually observing the change. It's easy to say that people change as time goes by, I guess that is, in a way, the right assumption.
However, I don't think people really change at all. Circumstances change, situations change. Calamity rolls by and creation blossoms. But people remain who they are, the product of their own mix of ideas and principles. And in some instances, a product of their own fantasies.
It's been a year since I stepped into college, and *<insert the usual melodrama about dreams, aspirations and expectations>*. I met people, made some really good friends, bonded 'big time' with the people who shared the same crazy fancies like I did, and what's more, I enjoyed every second like there is no tomorrow. OK, maybe I enjoyed a bit too much. (Hint: Don't look at my Grade Book)
You know, all those wild eccentric ideas that cook up in your head when you're a freshman? The ultimate independence, the sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm to finally live your life to it's fullest? It all happened to me, and so much more. Trying something new! And discovering newer routes in life. The unprecedented FUN and action with every step. Sleepless nights, the rush of adrenaline, dancing like a carefree kid and of course, the confrontation with exams at the end of the year. It was a heavenly cycle of precious moments.
I'd like to credit Singapore for being one of the most appropriate cities for a well-rounded education. I cannot forget the blend of salty beaches, sweltering heat and posh elegance of this island that actually led me to have more fun than ever. This was primarily one of the reasons why my first year was so splendid.
While freshman year raced along and culminated in a summer paradise in India, I can never really remember much of it. It's all a strange blur of spice, exotic music and colors now. When I try to recall whatever really happened, I visualize some of the priceless 'first time moments' and that's about it. The first night-out, the first cocktail, the first dance, the first time I walked alone, the first exam, the first sleepover, the first song we got hooked on to, the first game of charades, the first birthday, the first concert, the first time I met everyone...all the first times.
And trust me, it is worth all the other lovely moments you will ever have. Because one can share a million memories with their friends, but the best way to kick-start the memories is with the first times. And the more first-times you have, the better it is, because really, it just goes to show how you keep exploring so many new avenues with your loved ones.
It's been 12 months since the start of that exhilarating year and I can say that so much has changed. We are all a family now and we do things we have always done, but in a better way. Second year should be DOUBLE the fun shouldn't it?
But something has definitely changed in the way I look at things around me. There is no love lost between me and this sweet make-believe home that I have built here. But I guess as years go by, everyone and everything tames down to face the reality. I'm starting to appreciate all my relationships, my hobbies and my 'alone time'. I'm also beginning to solidify those dreams which have been floating in oblivion for far too long. For the first time, I'm choosing what really makes me happy and content.
I just feel that I should invest my time in activities that really matter. I want more first-times in my second year. Those times which I really wish to treasure after about, a fifty years. There's a bucket list waiting somewhere, demanding an immediate entry. That's how many plans I have lined up for myself! At the present moment, like all young people, those dreams and ambitions are bubbling through the surface of my imagination. Maybe, fifty years down the lane, (when I'm a Grandma, oh yeah!) I'll actually look back and laugh at this entire post. Life would hold a different meaning then, because Life is of that nature - ever-changing, ever-evolving.
And perhaps, you, my Reader, will feel the same too.
