Happy Birthday

9:45 p.m. Queen’s Walk, South Bank, London: I have just recovered from the loneliness and vulnerability generated by the vastness of this city of London. Saved myself from a long queue outside Wagamama-just grabbed a take-away. Watched a performance ‘outside’ the National Theatre and the magic of South bank was already building. A simple sweet treat and a cappuccino from the next nearest airstream was enough to take it to culmination.

Sitting at the bench I gaze at my part of the Thames which looks even more beautiful when it breaks down all the light thrown at it into zillion starlets dancing on the surface of water to the tune of the wind. This place inspires me. An old African gentleman croons to the strings of his guitar while some passer-bys part with a quid or less. But he draws his motivation from a couple who stand right before him under one of the lamp posts lost in each other’s arms.

And then it strikes me why I want to be what I want to be. To be able to ‘create’ something gives you a high like nothing else can; except the one that you get when you find that your creation touched someone’s life.  Looking around myself, I felt that everything is there for a reason. To strive for betterment is the ethos of civilization. Someone must have felt frustrated when things dint take the shape as they were imagined. Someone must have sacrificed something very special to be able to put to something in place so that countless people can benefit from it someday. Someone leaves home everyday to do their bit towards making something. If one would argue that it is ‘money’ that makes you leave your home every morning; I’d say if that would be the case the term ‘job satisfaction’ would have never been coined. So, I’d stress again: its that HIGH that’s more responsible for everything we see around ourselves today than anything else. And I think all the toil, sacrifice and endurance is worth that HIGH.

I have experienced that high once before. And it was intoxicating. But that’s another story. Can’t wait till that happens again. And again, and again. At 25, I think it’s not too late to realize what you want to do with your life.  Happy birthday to myself.