Status Quo!

It's been a very unusual start to the year. Of course, just like you it's largely related to the global crisis but not limited to it. My emotional roller coaster has been in operation since end of December, right after the Himalayan trek. It pulled me out of normal and put me into an imaginary world. I dwelt there for quite some time and before i could step down into my normal, nature has pulled us all into something very very abnormal. We might have underestimated the gravity of this storm but before we could understand it, it's been labeled as a Pandemic.

This pandemic has surely dug a deeper hole into the global economy but it has also brought us back to basics. Nature in its own way is giving us a massive opportunity to stop running and is genuinely asking us to hit that pause button. Employers who ideally have immense power on 8am to 5pm part of our lives, have been requesting us to not come to work. Idealists who promote the human connection and curse technology otherwise, are pushing everyone to stay socially distant. Everyone suddenly seems to have a very strong family connection and kids are getting a lot of undivided attention from their parents. Long lost school friends, college buddies are getting in touch on Zoom. A lot of us have started thinking about our hobbies. Reading has become a hot weekend activity and for once all the lazy bums have a valid reason to not go to the gym :)

A few years ago when i watched Will Smith's "I am Legend", i vividly remember an uneasy feeling surrounded me, I was suffocated by the feeling of last man surviving on earth and thought, why would the makers invest in such depressing unrealistic bullshit and dare call that 'futuristic'? Today, i relate to the ghost town that was well captured in this film. On that note, what will happen in 2030? Yes, of course we will be 10 years older but we will also be looking back and talking to the younger generation about COVID 2020 and the national lock downs. Just like how the older generations spoke to us about India-Pakistan partition, about the historical events that we didn't get to be a part of, fortunately or unfortunately.

Well, Fortunately or Unfortunately is how you want to look at it. We are here. We are going through this. COVID is happening. There is no running away from this global calamity. What can we do? We can actually do a lot. We can look at the big picture. We can stay sane. We can focus on the hygiene and look after ourselves. Right now, we can 'do' a lot by 'doing' the least.

Stay put and be positive about this slow down. Positivity is infectious as much as COVID is. Your positivity will promote a strong mental health around you. Don't crib about staying home, applaud the people who are taking a stronger hit and stay together in this inescapable adventure that you are a part of.

Help them by doing the least, Status Quo!

 

“Popularity is a bubble. It’s a mountain, you can go up really hard but walk down really fast.” – RM ;)

I was chilling by the pool, reading a book this Saturday and this condo-friend of mine met me after a long time. We got chatting and she suddenly said, "why aren't you writing? I love reading your blogs, please write more." Hmm, quite a pleasant surprise and that's how the 1st post for 2020 takes birth :)

Frankly, I don’t know why I have been away from this blog. Yes, I have been on my toes in 2019 but my usual urge for writing is such that, when it's up, it's up! May be I have learnt to express more, talk more and be open about myself. Writing, in a way is a one-sided medium of communication. You think, you write, you feel better, serves people like me who are not into small talk business :P

Well, I am taking a short break from theatre since December and am not sure how long I want it to be this way. Kindly Note that NOT going for auditions is not easy for me :PP but but but I have decided to tap into some serious self-care. Phew!

If you have been following my blog, you know that I was aiming for a Himalayan trek since 2016. Here, remember this post? http://mysoul111.blogspot.com/2016/06/i-was-told-i-was-dangerousi-asked-why.html It just didn’t happen because I couldn’t let go off theatre productions that came in the way. Yes, you do become greedy, don’t you? But…it was time to get away. I decided to go with 22 strangers because I truly wanted to 'get away'. Unquestionably I slid my phone in the bag the day we reached Haridwar, didn’t bother to take it out for most of the trek and boy wasn’t that some seriously needed peace? hell ya!

On the second evening of the trek, my feet sunk deep in the fluffy white snow while we were all watching the sun setting in its most radiant shade of orange. The sky was on fire! I picked a faraway spot to be with the bunch yet away from the crowd. The peaks of these mountain ranges looked like a colourful dream, grey, white and an orange dream, a dream that was far from my everyday-world yet so near to me in that one moment. There was an incredible amount of peace in the air, the cold air which was hard to breathe in but extremely satisfying at the same time. I teared up instantly, absorbed in this one peak that looked ridiculously beautiful, and the hot round solid orange ball behind this peak was beyond belief. I was frozen, not because of the cold outside but the emotions within. I am not sure what I felt, except for the tears that kept rolling down my cheeks! The trek leader came closer and whispered, "its ok, hota hai" (its ok, happens :)). He gave me a hug and I blurted "the year has been extremely hectic. I don’t know what have I done right to deserve and experience this heaven". He tapped on my back, "Aww, you are making me emo now, enough" and we laughed it out with a pahadi dance that he taught me. And that was that, that moment!

7 days were full of such moments with either fellow trekkers or with myself. The pictures that were taken by some awesome photography enthusiast on the way went on social media after coming back. The amount of people who came to me and said, "wow girl, I want to do it one day" or "amazing, I will come with you next time" or "I saw it all through your eyes" and more, was quite surprising. Why? Because this is not a usual bunch who I know love trekking or are into fitness. These are people who were inspired by the beautiful mountains and had a passing thought of actually doing it! And I am so glad that I brought it one step closer to them. To all those, I will say one thing, Go, Do it! Don’t procrastinate, Just bloody do it :)