The Task: A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Words. They have the biggest impact on me. I identify myself as a writer first, so that makes sense doesn't it?
I've always loved words. There are words I like, words I dislike. Words I use. And abuse. Then there are words I avoid. There are words I use when I write but never use colloquially and vice versa.
As part of my Bachelor's degree, I had to study the History of English Language and while a lot of it bored me to tears, I loved learning how to identify the origin of words in the English language. For a long time even after I finished uni, I would quiz myself trying to figure out if words were French, Latin or even one of Shakespeare's creations ;)
Like I said before, I love and collect quotations. They inspire me, move me, make me think and sometimes just make go "awwww"
I love word games. Especially Scrabble.
I used to read the dictionary for fun. (Try not to judge me :P) and Dictionary.com is the first bookmark on my web browser. I even follow @thewordoftheday on Twitter.
While I have a general interest in understanding different cultures - words, the way they are used and often the differences in connotation in different cultures are particularly fascinating for me.
Words & me...it's something special ;-)
This post is part of the #30daysofme blog challenge I'm doing with some friends
Sep 15, 2010
Sep 14, 2010
Day 06: #30daysofme
The Task: Favourite super hero and why
So far this challenge has been pretty easygoing but this "favourite super hero" post had me stumped. I don't have a favourite superhero (well, not the comic book type at least) but as I have mentioned before, I'm a total Harry Potter fangirl so for the sake of this post, he is going to be my favourite super hero. I know some of you will argue technicalities but well, Harry can do magic - that is just as super hero-ic as a man who scales buildings arachnid-like or the Last Son of Krypton .
Why do I love Harry so much? Because he's awesome of course. What? That's not reason enough? Okay...
This post is part of the #30daysofme blog challenge I'm doing with some friends.
So far this challenge has been pretty easygoing but this "favourite super hero" post had me stumped. I don't have a favourite superhero (well, not the comic book type at least) but as I have mentioned before, I'm a total Harry Potter fangirl so for the sake of this post, he is going to be my favourite super hero. I know some of you will argue technicalities but well, Harry can do magic - that is just as super hero-ic as a man who scales buildings arachnid-like or the Last Son of Krypton .
Why do I love Harry so much? Because he's awesome of course. What? That's not reason enough? Okay...
- Magic, obviously! No matter how old you are, magic is always cool plus wand-swishing and Latin spells only makes it cooler! Who wants to flick the switch when you can say LUMOS; or why would you open a door when ALOHOMORA is so much more fun! ;-)
- Harry is the "Boy who Lived" - he is the Boy Wonder of the Wizarding World but he is still so humble. Humility is underrated but it is so important. It is why I love Roger Federer so much. It's why I respect Rafael Nadal and can't hate him even when he beats Federer. (It's Grand Slam time - the tennis references are inevitable).
- Harry is a very loyal friend (e.g. Ron and Hermione) and very passionate about his close relationships (e.g. Sirius or Dumbledore). I'm a typical Aquarian and have lots of friends however I always keep everyone at a bit of a distance (especially as far as my emotions are concerned) until I can figure out if I want to let them into my "inner circle". I value loyalty in friendships & relationships and once you're part of the inner circle, I will go that extra mile for you without hesitation, so Harry's loyalty and passion are endearing.
- Invisibility! I read The Invisible Man when I was in primary school and if I could have one super power, I would love to be invisible. I would love to steal Harry's invisibility cloak.
- Harry's a good person, he's a hero but he's not a goody-two-shoes and I love that. Sneaking out of Hogwarts with the Marauder's Map or stealing potion supplies from Snape's cupboard - being mischievous makes him more fun and lovable.
This post is part of the #30daysofme blog challenge I'm doing with some friends.
Sep 13, 2010
Day 05: #30daysofme
The Task: A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
This is a picture of Wategos beach at Byron Bay from my last trip in April. TO say I love Byron would be an understatement. Yes yes I know, it's become very yuppie, has way too many tourists, is overpriced... and all that. But Byron's inherent hippie-ness appeals to my inner flower child.
This post is part of the #30daysofme blog challenge I'm doing with some friends.
tags:
30 days of me,
australia,
blogging,
photos,
travel.
Sep 12, 2010
Day 04: #30daysofme
The Task: A habit that you wish you didn’t have
I think I'll just do this later....
...... Get it? Get it? Get it? ;-)
I think I'll just do this later....
...... Get it? Get it? Get it? ;-)
Sep 11, 2010
Day 03: #30daysofme
The Task: A picture of you and your friends
This one was tricky because I prefer not to put up personal photos on my blog. But anyway, here we are:
I love shoes...so I love this photo. It was taken at Ilaeria's Hen's night.
This one was tricky because I prefer not to put up personal photos on my blog. But anyway, here we are:
I love shoes...so I love this photo. It was taken at Ilaeria's Hen's night.
Sep 10, 2010
Day 02 - #30daysofme
The Task: The meaning behind your Blog name
LegallyAlien - hmm, pretty self explanatory, no?
Well, like many other things in my life, my blog name was inspired by song lyrics. The song here is 'Englishman in New York’ by Sting.
Wikipedia explains the meaning of Legal Alien pretty well.
I am a legal alien – in Australia and in India too. I guess moving to another country made me realise that “home” (i.e. India) will always be home because that is where I grew up but at the same time, it will never be the same home again. Does that make sense?
In the same way, while Australia isn’t the “home” I grew up in, after 3.5 years here, despite its alien-ness, it will always be home to me.
I have two homes and no home
I realise that for the rest of my life, I will always be slightly “alien” wherever I go and I like that. I guess as an immigrant, being a bit of permanent misfit comes with the territory. So being “Legally Alien” is now a permanent part of my identity and hence, the blog name.
LegallyAlien - hmm, pretty self explanatory, no?
Well, like many other things in my life, my blog name was inspired by song lyrics. The song here is 'Englishman in New York’ by Sting.
"I'm an alien
I am a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York"
I am a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York"
Wikipedia explains the meaning of Legal Alien pretty well.
I am a legal alien – in Australia and in India too. I guess moving to another country made me realise that “home” (i.e. India) will always be home because that is where I grew up but at the same time, it will never be the same home again. Does that make sense?
In the same way, while Australia isn’t the “home” I grew up in, after 3.5 years here, despite its alien-ness, it will always be home to me.
I have two homes and no home
I realise that for the rest of my life, I will always be slightly “alien” wherever I go and I like that. I guess as an immigrant, being a bit of permanent misfit comes with the territory. So being “Legally Alien” is now a permanent part of my identity and hence, the blog name.
Sep 9, 2010
Day 01 - #30daysofme
The task: A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
So this is a badly cropped pic of me. This was taken by Ilaeria at a recent Hot Pot party at a friend's house. I look like quite the expert at Hot Pot-ing but in reality, I'm far from it.. ;-)
So Fifteen interesting facts huh? Wow... this challenge doesn't ask for much does it? Anyway, here goes...
- I'm a pop culture and news junkie. I love knowing everything about EVERYTHING. I thrive on trivia and random facts.
- I want to adopt a girl at some point in my life; when *I* grow up that is.
- It may come as a surprise to people who've only known me for the last few years but apart from my shoe obsession (that's a birth defect) I used to be very, VERY tomboyish. I had very, very short hair (Rihanna short sometimes) & owned 1 dress, a couple of skirts and 10 pairs of jeans. Not sure what happened there.. ;-)
- I love technology, tech news, gadgets, and anything tech related. I get this from my Dad.
- I love Harry Potter. So. So. Much.
- I'm very indecisive
- I'm crazy about dogs & can't wait to get one again
- Incorrect grammar drives me insane
- I can read & speak 3 languages (English, Bengali & Hindi) but can't write in my mother tongue, Bengali *hangs head in shame*
- I don't believe in astrology or anything but I have fun analysing people based on their zodiac signs. Sometimes the personality traits are spot on.
- I can't get through a day without music - the genre doesn't matter. Music is all about how it makes you feel and a lot of the time it's about the words too.
- I love quotations & "collect" them. Yes, laugh. I have 4 journals full of quotations.
- I have a Bachelor's degree in English Lit & sometimes I really wish I'd done my Masters in Lit. Reading & then being critical about what you read - pretty much a dream uni course ;)
- Sometimes when people talk, certain words or phrases they use trigger off songs in my head. If I know them well enough, I start singing aloud otherwise I sing in my head.
- I don't like cricket. Yes, really. I used to, but that was a long time ago. The only sport I really follow is Roger Federer, ah, sorry, I meant tennis.
There! All done :)
tags:
30 days of me,
about me,
blogging,
twitter
Blog Challenge: #30DaysofMe
This #30daysofme blog challenge seems to have become pretty popular on Twitter and I have been convinced by @blauerpunto, @ilaeria @agentK and @jethrocarr to do it too. Considering I've been incommunicado on my blog for quite some time now, I figured it was worth a shot.
Anyway, so this is an outline of what you can expect on the blog for the next 30 days
Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song
The challenge starts today so I'm following this up with Day 1's post very soon
Anyway, so this is an outline of what you can expect on the blog for the next 30 days
Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song
The challenge starts today so I'm following this up with Day 1's post very soon
tags:
30 days of me,
about me,
blogging,
twitter
Jul 14, 2010
challenge has been postponed
So just when I was getting into the swing of things & announced the 30 posts in 30 days challenge to the world, I was deprived of a computer :P So just in case you were wondering, that's why I couldn't live up to my word.
I will try again in August but for now, hopefully I'll still keep writing...lots :)
I haven't finished reading Superfreakonomics yet so don't ask me for a review. I just put it on hold as I'm re-reading The Fountainhead. It's one of those books that I read over and over again and different bits inspire me at different times in my life. Howard Roark speaks to me as I've mentioned before and once again, I'm discovering new things about the book and about the way I look at things.
I will try again in August but for now, hopefully I'll still keep writing...lots :)
I haven't finished reading Superfreakonomics yet so don't ask me for a review. I just put it on hold as I'm re-reading The Fountainhead. It's one of those books that I read over and over again and different bits inspire me at different times in my life. Howard Roark speaks to me as I've mentioned before and once again, I'm discovering new things about the book and about the way I look at things.
sand between my fingers
This was inspired by my friend Jen D who recently wrote a Pantoum as well. I don't write poetry much but just thought I'd give it a shot anyway. Not the greatest...but oh well, at least I wrote a poem. ;)
you & me
what we had
and what could have been
questions...
what we had
was it just me?
questions
for the answers that will never be heard
was it just me?
the reminiscences surround me
for, the answers that will never be heard
are haunting
the reminiscences surround me
but were you ever here?
are haunting
memories worth holding on to?
but were you ever here?
i don't see you any more
memories worth holding on to,
slipping like sand beween my fingers
i don't see you anymore
the questions are pointless
slipping like sand between my fingers
you & me
Jul 5, 2010
Day 5: Stress
I really thought I would write something good today. An actual post, not just some words for the sake of a post.
But I'm very, very stressed right now. Don't really want to say why so I'll just say Hello All and now I'm going back to watching Good News Week.
Oh, and cheer for Netherlands tomorrow. Do.
But I'm very, very stressed right now. Don't really want to say why so I'll just say Hello All and now I'm going back to watching Good News Week.
Oh, and cheer for Netherlands tomorrow. Do.
Jul 4, 2010
Day 4: I have nothing to say
Really. I don't.
I've had a very long day and I'm only posting because I promised I would.
Plus I'm watching Rafa & Berdych fight it out at the Wimbledon finals. I don't want Berdych to win because he beat Federer. Haha, yes I can be like that.
I also hope Spain beats Germany at the semis because I really, really don't like the Germans (the team, not the people) and was so heartbroken last night. Yes, I know Germany played very well and deserved to win yada yada, but I really don't like the team Ha ha.
Okay, so good night all. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more interesting things to write about.
I've had a very long day and I'm only posting because I promised I would.
Plus I'm watching Rafa & Berdych fight it out at the Wimbledon finals. I don't want Berdych to win because he beat Federer. Haha, yes I can be like that.
I also hope Spain beats Germany at the semis because I really, really don't like the Germans (the team, not the people) and was so heartbroken last night. Yes, I know Germany played very well and deserved to win yada yada, but I really don't like the team Ha ha.
Okay, so good night all. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more interesting things to write about.
Jul 3, 2010
Day 3: Football - it's in my genes
It's almost time for the Argentina-Germany game so let me hear you say it
I love the World Cup. I don't follow football as much as my sister and don't know too many players or anything but I love watching it during the World Cup. It's one of the few sports I find interesting (and understand!), plus I think it's also a cultural-genetic-hereditary thing. I'll explain in a bit, but first -
- yes, it *is* football. When you kick a ball with your foot, it's called football. It's not football when you run around a field passing the ball to each other, tackling each other to the ground. Yes, I'm looking at you Aussie rules "football" fans and yes, you American "football" fans too. But back to what I was saying....
Calcutta, the city I grew up in has 2 major football clubs - Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and when they play, the fans can get pretty aggressive. We also love to claim Baichung Bhutia as our own. Anyway, so for this reason, Bengalis (or Bongs, as we are "fondly" known) are pretty passionate about football. What we're also passionate about is Brazil and Argentina. Football is big in West Bengal (the state in which Calcutta is, for the uninitiated) and if India *ever* qualified for the World Cup, I'm willing to bet anything that the most passionate supporters will be from Bengal. Anyway, so every World Cup the city is divided into its Blue and Yellow factions and well, things can get pretty heated.
I'm not sure exactly when this Brazil-Argentina obsession started but it's pretty strong and I can tell you I was being very un-Calcuttan & un-Bengali by supporting Netherlands last night. Haha ;) So I Googled to see if I could find any answers & I found this (read it!). There were clashes in Bangladesh between Argentine & Brazilian football fans. FYI, Bangladesh & West Bengal share the same language, culture, food etc, back from when we used to be the same country...so there's a shared passion for football as well.
The article says the Bengali obsession for Argentina & Brazil has to do with Pele & Maradona but doesn't explain much else. But anyway, it does explain my point - football, is my genes (watching it, not playing it).
India may have a long way to go till they qualify for the World Cup (if you're interested, this article I read on the BBC website explains a few things about the dismal state of Indian football). In the meanwhile, as the article says "Bengalis are passionate people" and I'm going to cheer loud and hard tonight so let me hear it one more time:
A.R.G.E.N.T.I.N.A!!!!
I love the World Cup. I don't follow football as much as my sister and don't know too many players or anything but I love watching it during the World Cup. It's one of the few sports I find interesting (and understand!), plus I think it's also a cultural-genetic-hereditary thing. I'll explain in a bit, but first -
- yes, it *is* football. When you kick a ball with your foot, it's called football. It's not football when you run around a field passing the ball to each other, tackling each other to the ground. Yes, I'm looking at you Aussie rules "football" fans and yes, you American "football" fans too. But back to what I was saying....
Calcutta, the city I grew up in has 2 major football clubs - Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and when they play, the fans can get pretty aggressive. We also love to claim Baichung Bhutia as our own. Anyway, so for this reason, Bengalis (or Bongs, as we are "fondly" known) are pretty passionate about football. What we're also passionate about is Brazil and Argentina. Football is big in West Bengal (the state in which Calcutta is, for the uninitiated) and if India *ever* qualified for the World Cup, I'm willing to bet anything that the most passionate supporters will be from Bengal. Anyway, so every World Cup the city is divided into its Blue and Yellow factions and well, things can get pretty heated.
I'm not sure exactly when this Brazil-Argentina obsession started but it's pretty strong and I can tell you I was being very un-Calcuttan & un-Bengali by supporting Netherlands last night. Haha ;) So I Googled to see if I could find any answers & I found this (read it!). There were clashes in Bangladesh between Argentine & Brazilian football fans. FYI, Bangladesh & West Bengal share the same language, culture, food etc, back from when we used to be the same country...so there's a shared passion for football as well.
The article says the Bengali obsession for Argentina & Brazil has to do with Pele & Maradona but doesn't explain much else. But anyway, it does explain my point - football, is my genes (watching it, not playing it).
India may have a long way to go till they qualify for the World Cup (if you're interested, this article I read on the BBC website explains a few things about the dismal state of Indian football). In the meanwhile, as the article says "Bengalis are passionate people" and I'm going to cheer loud and hard tonight so let me hear it one more time:
A.R.G.E.N.T.I.N.A!!!!
tags:
bengali,
calcutta,
random stuff,
sport
Jul 2, 2010
Day 2: Cheat post ;)
Okay so this is a bit of a cheat post but today has been a very, very long day and it's the Netherlands vs. Brazil quarterfinals so I don't really have the time to frame coherent sentences right now. It's a cheat post because I'm posting something I wrote when I was 17 and some of you have read it before I'm sure.
I want to sit and read on top of a tree
It's my attempt at poetry...(I really struggle with poetry btw). I wrote it while I was meant to be studying, the night before an English exam. Though I know it's no fantastic piece of poetry, it's still one of my favourites! :-)
I want to sit and read on top of a tree
I want to run like an animal who’s just been set free
I want to learn how to cook a French meal
I want to learn how to train a seal
I want to listen to Mozart and Pink Floyd at the same time
I want to write a good poem without a rhyme
I want to jump off a building to see if I can fly
I want to laugh so hard I begin to cry
I want to read every book ever written
I want to understand the working of the minds of men
I want to never have to apologise
I want to know the true meaning of ‘wise’
I want to write like William Shakespeare – The Bard
I want to write the invitation on my own funeral card
I want to learn to drive a bulldozing machine
I want to never step out of my teens
I want to be interviewed by a famous journalist
I want to be able to tell my life story in a gist
I want to adopt a dog, a monkey, a lion cub
I want to remember an itching nose becomes worse when you rub
I want to love like I’ve never loved before
I want to keep loving more and more
I want to travel to the north and south poles
I want to believe in the existence of souls
I want to travel abroad without a passport
I want to be old enough to vote
I want to be able to laugh at myself
I want to know what Enid Blyton meant by ‘elf’
I want to scuba dive from Kanyakumari
I want to know what its like to break your knee
I want to be brave enough to say I don’t know
I want to know what its like to be a crow
I want...
I want...
I want, more and more
But most of all…
I want to be me.
tags:
blogging,
favourites,
poetry,
writing
Jul 1, 2010
LIFE, question mark
Sometimes I tend to abandon this blog because it gets too personal. It orders me around and demands I reveal more of myself than I'm comfortable with. I don't like being told what to do so I do what I do what I do - I run away. Sometimes we run into each other on the interwebz but I can be cold-hearted. Blog looks at me with the fond smile of an old friend & I just ignore it, pretending we've never met. But then, on days like today I come back, arrogant in my certainty that Blog has no choice but to take me back. I have things to say and Blog always wants to listen and thus begins another "On" chapter of our tumultous, sometimes toxic, sometimes comforting on again/off again relationship.
Also, on the spur of the moment, I have decided to challenge myself to the 30 posts in 30 days thing that a lot of bloggers do. (well 31, as it is July). Starting today, I'm going to post here (however big or small) every day until the 31st of July. Forcing myself into being a writer by leisure, not just by profession so I can remember why I used to love it so much.
So anyway, yesterday my dear friend S wrote a note on Facebook "When I grow older..", which is now on her blog. Please read it and then come back and tell me she's an amazing writer. She's smart, she decided not to make a career out of writing. That's where things start going downhill. But I digress. S's post is a series of questions and realisations about the crisis of growing up. (Yes, it is a crisis, an unfortunate unavoidable one at that.) She inspired me to write this so at the end of it, if you think reading it was the biggest waste of your time, feel free to blame S. haha. :)
I'm curious by nature and I ask people (or Google, as the case may be) a lot of questions but this time around, I've been asking myself a lot of questions. Ever wish you had an internal Google that would just give you all the answers? Do you think if it were possible to measure the speed of thought, we would measure distances in space in "thought years"? (seeee - so many questions and I haven't even started the "actual" post.)
Do you ever reach a point in your life where you look at all your dreams, goals,achievements, ambitions and even materialistic pursuits - and wonder - "Why do I want this?"
The things you thought you wanted from life - do you really want them or have you just been conditioned into wanting them? By people? By society? By advertisements? ;)
Can anyone ever really be beyond cultural influence? So why do you think you are so special?
For all your independence and pride, did you really make all your decisions "independently" or have you surreptitiously been conned into them?
If I asked you "Who are you?", could you really tell me? Not your name, not your job, not your skills, not your hobbies, not your relationships - but who YOU are?
Can you evolve overnight and become a different version of yourself or are you just trying on a new skin for shock value?
Is it normal to regress to your teenage years as a form of liberation from your adulthood? Can you be living your life in reverse?
Do you feel passionate and blase about the same things in alternating bursts of dizzying euphoria and mindnumbing dullness?
Can home bring you comfort while also frighten you into depression? Can home be home without the people? Can you be home and still be a nomad?
When you don't cry - is it because you are really happy or are you too scared to feel...anything. If the happiness is bittersweet, is it really happiness?
If you are asked "What did you want to be as a child?" and you cannot remember, is it because it was that trivial or have you lost a part of yourself?
Do you find yourself wishing you had some psycho babble analysis to blame things on but you can't because you had such a perfectly normal and happy childhood?
When you meet someone new who knows nothing about you or where you come from, can it be a relief to hide behind the lack of identity? Or is it simply a chance to create an identity without pre-conceived notions?
Remember when your naivete and innocence was lovable? When did it become laughable?
"Good things happen to good people" they say and you believed it because you are an optimist. But are you sure? Are you really, really sure? No, really?
Can you be a cynical optimist? Why not? It's like believing Evolution was followed by Creation. Or being Agnostic. No?
Is faith (in anything) good or are you just kidding yourself? But you're a daydreamer - do you really want to let go of that just yet?
Are you being impulsive and "listening to your gut" or is it just the devil-may-care attitude frothing up to the surface?
Why is it when men are nice, you think "he's a nice guy" but when a girl is nice, she's flirting?
If being nice was cool, would more people be nicer or is bitchy always going to be in?
If you put yourself before anyone else, is it okay not to feel guilty about it?
Do we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect?
Do you feel like you're constantly falling short of expectations that no one has of you but yourself?Once you start falling short, do you stop trying or do you just go harder? Are you running around in circles then or is it a marathon with an eventual finish line? Do you stop if you run out of breath?
When your heart tells you you want to do something that will "make a difference", why does your mind shut it up with "wise" words spouting "impracticality" "no future" "what will you do for money?" and even "rubbish, what difference could you possibly make"? Is this part of societal conditioning or are you too afraid to take the leap? Will you do it anyway?
Can we really have it all? What is this "all" you speak of?
P.S. Don't ask me "What brought this on?" or anything to that effect. They're just questions...at some point you've probably asked yourself some of these too.
Also, on the spur of the moment, I have decided to challenge myself to the 30 posts in 30 days thing that a lot of bloggers do. (well 31, as it is July). Starting today, I'm going to post here (however big or small) every day until the 31st of July. Forcing myself into being a writer by leisure, not just by profession so I can remember why I used to love it so much.
So anyway, yesterday my dear friend S wrote a note on Facebook "When I grow older..", which is now on her blog. Please read it and then come back and tell me she's an amazing writer. She's smart, she decided not to make a career out of writing. That's where things start going downhill. But I digress. S's post is a series of questions and realisations about the crisis of growing up. (Yes, it is a crisis, an unfortunate unavoidable one at that.) She inspired me to write this so at the end of it, if you think reading it was the biggest waste of your time, feel free to blame S. haha. :)
I'm curious by nature and I ask people (or Google, as the case may be) a lot of questions but this time around, I've been asking myself a lot of questions. Ever wish you had an internal Google that would just give you all the answers? Do you think if it were possible to measure the speed of thought, we would measure distances in space in "thought years"? (seeee - so many questions and I haven't even started the "actual" post.)
Do you ever reach a point in your life where you look at all your dreams, goals,achievements, ambitions and even materialistic pursuits - and wonder - "Why do I want this?"
The things you thought you wanted from life - do you really want them or have you just been conditioned into wanting them? By people? By society? By advertisements? ;)
Can anyone ever really be beyond cultural influence? So why do you think you are so special?
For all your independence and pride, did you really make all your decisions "independently" or have you surreptitiously been conned into them?
If I asked you "Who are you?", could you really tell me? Not your name, not your job, not your skills, not your hobbies, not your relationships - but who YOU are?
Can you evolve overnight and become a different version of yourself or are you just trying on a new skin for shock value?
Is it normal to regress to your teenage years as a form of liberation from your adulthood? Can you be living your life in reverse?
Do you feel passionate and blase about the same things in alternating bursts of dizzying euphoria and mindnumbing dullness?
Can home bring you comfort while also frighten you into depression? Can home be home without the people? Can you be home and still be a nomad?
When you don't cry - is it because you are really happy or are you too scared to feel...anything. If the happiness is bittersweet, is it really happiness?
If you are asked "What did you want to be as a child?" and you cannot remember, is it because it was that trivial or have you lost a part of yourself?
Do you find yourself wishing you had some psycho babble analysis to blame things on but you can't because you had such a perfectly normal and happy childhood?
When you meet someone new who knows nothing about you or where you come from, can it be a relief to hide behind the lack of identity? Or is it simply a chance to create an identity without pre-conceived notions?
Remember when your naivete and innocence was lovable? When did it become laughable?
"Good things happen to good people" they say and you believed it because you are an optimist. But are you sure? Are you really, really sure? No, really?
Can you be a cynical optimist? Why not? It's like believing Evolution was followed by Creation. Or being Agnostic. No?
Is faith (in anything) good or are you just kidding yourself? But you're a daydreamer - do you really want to let go of that just yet?
Are you being impulsive and "listening to your gut" or is it just the devil-may-care attitude frothing up to the surface?
Why is it when men are nice, you think "he's a nice guy" but when a girl is nice, she's flirting?
If being nice was cool, would more people be nicer or is bitchy always going to be in?
If you put yourself before anyone else, is it okay not to feel guilty about it?
Do we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect?
Do you feel like you're constantly falling short of expectations that no one has of you but yourself?Once you start falling short, do you stop trying or do you just go harder? Are you running around in circles then or is it a marathon with an eventual finish line? Do you stop if you run out of breath?
When your heart tells you you want to do something that will "make a difference", why does your mind shut it up with "wise" words spouting "impracticality" "no future" "what will you do for money?" and even "rubbish, what difference could you possibly make"? Is this part of societal conditioning or are you too afraid to take the leap? Will you do it anyway?
Can we really have it all? What is this "all" you speak of?
P.S. Don't ask me "What brought this on?" or anything to that effect. They're just questions...at some point you've probably asked yourself some of these too.
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