Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Not Quite What I Was Planning

I came across an interesting book called Not Quite What I Was Planning. It contains six-word memoirs written by a whole bunch of people. Basically, you've got to sum up your life in six words, and six words only. Not more, not less.

My first thought was - alright, seriously, I'm barely 25. Quarter-life crisis, alright, but am I not a little too young to be summing up my life and writing my six-word autobiography?

And then my second thought was - what better have I got to do this second anyway?

So here goes, a few failed attempts, followed by a pretty good one, I should think.

Almost 25. Thirty in 5 more!!
Always happy and always will be!
I have had an awesome life.

And then... bingo!
Adaptation. The Story of My Life.

I'm actually quite proud of my six words, because if I look back, I've always had to adapt to new circumstances, new places, and new people. My dad's job was such that we had to move a lot -within India, across the globe to the United States, and then, within the United States as well. I had no choice, but to be receptive to change.

It was not easy. I realize how crazy it was after talking to some people who have had the same set of friends since they were two years old! My friends pretty much changed every two years, and due to lack of Facebook back then, it was hard to keep in touch. So places changed, friends changed, situations changed... and I had no choice but to accept it.

Looking back though, all the moving around was what shaped me into the person I am today. I'm not afraid of exploring unchartered territories because it's become second nature. I love meeting new people and I make friends easily. I thank my baba now, because if it weren't for him, I would probably not have seen places like Fargo, North Dakota and Boise, Idaho. If it weren't for him, I would have been afraid of failures. If it weren't for him, I would not have learned to embrace change with a strong gut.

So there it is. Adaptation. The Story of My Life.

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