Turning 28!!!

To be edited

I turned 28 coupla days back and somehow it feels good. I never expected this. As I said earlier, I was really upset when I turned 26, cuz I swept past the much-talked about 25! Because, 25 is seen as the cut-off year every where. Whenever you take part in surveys or fill up forms, they go like this...

below 18

18-25 years

26-35years

above 35

I felt great when I could check that column next to 18-25. I might be 24, but people could still think Iam only 18. Iam leaving the options open. If u go by the way I look, chances are that you wouldn't think like that. :D But if you go by the way I sometimes behave, then Yeah, very much Possible :D So I was really upset when I turned 26 and had to check that column next to 26-35. So someoe who reads it might think am 35? From 18 to 35 in one swoop!!! Thats so unfair!!!! Surely, being 26 and 35 is not the same thing. It never is. So you can imagine the disappointment I felt when I turned 26!! Add to it the fact that I was at a personal low, looked my worst and was under tremendous pressure of various kinds. When I turned 27, boy! I was heartbroken. Just a mere 3 years to turn 30! Turning 30 was never part of my plans. I mean.. really.. I never planned that far. I thought I will always be a kid...(honestly, I still feel like a kid on most days) and time would stand still or I would just magically disappear or some such thing... I can plan only 6 months forward... Anything beyond six mnths would go over my head... I live for the moment... Maybe, even cling on to the past fiercely, refusing to move on... But future was smthg I rarely thought of.. Ofcourze I pondered over philosophical questions, worried over inconsequential things, had mighty illusions of grandeur about my future, dreamt about being rich and famous et.al.. But I did all that cuz I really enjoy getting lost in an imaginary world. Not cuz I really believed in them. So yeah... 30 was smthg I never planned to be. But yayyyyy!! When I turned 28, it actually feels great. To begin with, 28 sounds really cool to me. Wayyy cooler than 27. 27 is like a wannabe... U have crossed 25. But u still want to be in that below 25 bracket. Wannabe!!! But 28 is in a league of its own! When u are 28, you have gotten over ur 25-fixation. It doesn't matter anymore. Its over. You have made peace with it. But hey.... Guess wot? 30 is still 2 solid years away!!! And thats great when you are surrounded by a lotta people who are in their 30s. And you stilll have ample time to rework on "things to do before I turn 30" list.... And am glad that I have taken some steps towards it. But that can wait. I really dont wanna publish my "things to do before I turn 30" list. I can do that when I do a post for my 30th birthday. That said, I have made few simple resolutions for this year. The ones that can be actually followed.

1. Don't buy books or movies DVDs unless I have finished reading/watching everything that I already have. Don't buy any book or movie DVD unless I really wanna read/watch it. Sometimes I buy them just cuz they are popular or they are must-reads or must-watch.

2. Argue less. Ok, I have grown wise. Arguing is pointless. Arguing is a waste of energy and time. And at the end of the day, if u cannot get the point across to the other person, u feel frustarted. So now I have learnt to silently listen to watever the other person has to say and just move on. As long as I know am right, Iam fine.

3. Lie a little. This might come as a surprise. But now I understood the importance of lying. I can sometimes be too honest, too open and too frank. But its clearly not doing anyone any good. If harmless lies can protect someone from getting hurt, save relationships and make every one happy, so be it.

4.Better Living - Get my sleeping pattern on track, Walk daily, drink loads of water, practice yoga, eat healthy, deaddict from watever am addicted to, read more, pray more.

5. Expect Less - From family, from friends, from love, from life, from God! This is the toughest, i tell ye.

6. Save more - Don't spend on things that are not absolutely necessary. Save up on the lil things for bigger things. Walk the shorter distances. Take the bus instead of the rickshaw. Take the rickshaw instead of the cab. Travel non AC, instead of the AC. Drink cappucino instead of Cold coffee with whipped cream and choco sauce. Buy one pair of shoes instead of 3. Saving up on lil things will add up.

7. Nurture Relationships - Forgive. Its liberating!! Keep in touch with those who are important. Remember birthdays - This might not seem very important. But I forgot to wish two of my friends whom I call up on an every-day basis. And they both religiously wished me on my birthday. So am going to sign up into some birthday reminder stuff .

8. Be sure of who I want in my life - If smone doesn't make me feel good, then just cut them off from life. They are really not worth it. There are people whom I care a lot about, but they dnt give two hoots about me. Then there are people who make it look like their life is so awesome, and talk non-stop about it. I know that people usually do this because they have low self-esteem. They really need to 'prove' that they are having a great life. Then there are people who crib about everything in life. Venting out once in a while is human. But cribbing about every lil thing and making a mountain out of them? So very uncool. Thenthere are those who repeatedly say how much they are adored by their friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, dogs on the streets etc. This is really funny when the person who says is not all that lovable. So if someone makes me feel good and exudes positivity, then they are with me.

9. Try something new every now and them - Simple things like cooking a new dish, trying a new hair cut, applying a new shade of nail paint or lip colour, checking out a new restaurant, taking a different route. Or bigger things like learning a new language, a new musical instrument etc. It doesn't matter even if I dnt stick to it long term. Just the pleasures of learning something new is great. In short, be experimental.

10. And even if I manage to do nothing from the list, not to be too hard on myself.. and lourvvve myself!!!!!