Yes ... we are here in Buffalo, NY in the Empire state, near the humungous Niagara Falls and an arm's length away from the Canadian border. Yes ... we have left Arizona behind - Phoenix and Tucson are now only in our memories - fading quickly I might add. Yes... I have joined Daemen College as an Assistant Professor in the History & Government department. Yes I have finished my Phd in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations at the University of Arizona. Yes ... we've bid adieu to friends and colleagues in the Grand Canyon state as well as to the apartment, library and office space occupied by me for 5 years ... as much a reason for my academic success as my advisor!!
I do miss a lot of things about Tucson ... and especially the University - it gave me all that I needed to succeed academically. But beyond that I will not miss Arizona. It was probably the first place that I left behind with no tears in my eyes, in fact the first place I left behind with a smile on my lips, hope in my heart and resolve in my mind to do better, much better next time. Usually I can cry buckets and get sentimental even while switching apartments or rooms - change is just not easy for my in any of its forms - I dislike it - I hate it at times - knowing full well it must come and that I need it and also want it deep down. However, the prospect of moving to the East coast was too wonderful in too many ways ...
Firstly, we were about to embark to the longest road trip of our lives - southwest to northeast - Phoenix to Buffalo - 2600 miles over 4 days with brief stops in interesting locations (more about that in another post hopefully soon). Then I was about to graduate to adulthood and have a full time job for the very first time in my life ... at 28!!! This was quite a heady feeling - one that may not have sunk in entirely yet. I was quite proud to be the first one among my cohort to bag an academic job entirely on my own ... and hopefully establish that I was a graduate they would be proud of sooner rather than later. The charm of living in a place as beautiful as Western NY was another reason I was brimming with excitement while leaving behind the Arizonian desert. The luscious green of NY are soothing to my soul which has seen more than its share of brown in the last 5 years ... Last but not the least -- Canada is a 5 min drive away ... and I cannot wait to cross and bridge and enjoy a new country and get soaked in its culture, food, people, accent... So all in all the prospect was full of excitement and novelty - granted it was change - but change that was ready for and change in the right direction.
The proximity of New York City and being a quasi New Yorker (yeah I know it is the state and not the city) is a good feeling altogether.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Monday, March 29, 2010
The wee hours...
Howdy to Myself!
So neither am I sad, upset, happy, etc. nor am I suffering from insomnia. Just happen to be awake at this crazy hour - when I am supposed to be completing my paper on "termination of military alliances". I love alliances to death - but running regression models in Stata and interpreting them is not the most fun thing at 3:30 AM - so I am fiddling around for something fun. I was hearing about some funny blogs today and I realised that I have never written 25 Random things - so nows a good time! And it has been ages that I read someone else's 25 random musings...so it should turn out to be more original. Lets try ...
1. I like the color RED - and Ive always really liked it.
2. Bright colors make me happy. I guess thats true for most people.
3. Nah.... I cant do it. Its not happening.
This tells me one non-random thing about myself. I am not capable of doing random things - life always has to be pre-planned and meaningful and.... aah! I havent really done many spontaneous things lately - I dont know if I can anymore :((
I have this constant feeling that I am running out of time and there is just a lot to be done on this planet and for this planet. There is fun to be had, there are books to be read, music to be heard, dances to be danced, meals to be savoured, sunsets to be enjoyed, evening walks to be taken, gardens to be enjoyed, flowers to be smelt, felt, events to be followed, trips to be taken, new places to be seen, self-improvements to be made, contributions to be made, research papers to be written, services to be done, long late night talks to be had (with roommates, friends, family etc), games to be watched and played, talents to be pursued.... WHY am I sitting here trying to write this blog? To organize my thoughts... there you go - no spontaneity here either!
Tonights not the time... Ill attempt creativity later...:)
Goodnight Y'all!
Aakriti
So neither am I sad, upset, happy, etc. nor am I suffering from insomnia. Just happen to be awake at this crazy hour - when I am supposed to be completing my paper on "termination of military alliances". I love alliances to death - but running regression models in Stata and interpreting them is not the most fun thing at 3:30 AM - so I am fiddling around for something fun. I was hearing about some funny blogs today and I realised that I have never written 25 Random things - so nows a good time! And it has been ages that I read someone else's 25 random musings...so it should turn out to be more original. Lets try ...
1. I like the color RED - and Ive always really liked it.
2. Bright colors make me happy. I guess thats true for most people.
3. Nah.... I cant do it. Its not happening.
This tells me one non-random thing about myself. I am not capable of doing random things - life always has to be pre-planned and meaningful and.... aah! I havent really done many spontaneous things lately - I dont know if I can anymore :((
I have this constant feeling that I am running out of time and there is just a lot to be done on this planet and for this planet. There is fun to be had, there are books to be read, music to be heard, dances to be danced, meals to be savoured, sunsets to be enjoyed, evening walks to be taken, gardens to be enjoyed, flowers to be smelt, felt, events to be followed, trips to be taken, new places to be seen, self-improvements to be made, contributions to be made, research papers to be written, services to be done, long late night talks to be had (with roommates, friends, family etc), games to be watched and played, talents to be pursued.... WHY am I sitting here trying to write this blog? To organize my thoughts... there you go - no spontaneity here either!
Tonights not the time... Ill attempt creativity later...:)
Goodnight Y'all!
Aakriti
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Celebration
So its been a while since I visited my own blog. Received the necessary gentle reminder from my roomie last night when she asked me how long had it been since I blogged. Its been a couple of months. My really good excuse to myself is that I was preparing for, writing, and then celebrating the completing of my Phd exams - writtens and orals. A huge ordeal, a terribly nerve -wrecking process, and then lots of celebration. Its been 3 weeks since I passed Comps, and I am still celebrating, which is fine because the semester is rather slow since the big day has passed.
So I don't really know what to write about - since a few topics deserve my attention and thoughts -- so let me start with ending the exams. 12th Feb 2010. A momentous day in my life now. The day I officially became a PhD candidate. I am very proud of this achievement. And very grateful that I was able to accomplish this. I may have made it clear that I am very proud, grateful, happy, excited of having the opportunity to study in a good school like the U of A in the land where dreams come true... Sounds filmy but it is true... I am privileged and I hope I make the best of this opportunity.
So being a Phd candidate.. or an ABD (All but Dissertation) signifies you are 2 steps away from attaining the attribution of being Dr. Aakriti Anilkumar Tandon. I may very well be Dr Aakriti Tandon-Atri by the time I get there, but the emphasis here is on the Doctor part. The sound of that word is going to be music for my ears. The surprising part is I didn't really grow up with this dream. I didn't want to do my Phd in International Relations until my Junior year while doing my BA in Journalism when I was exposed to a few classes in IR... and then there was no looking back. I know what I would love doing my entire life. And then IR/ politics permeates all aspects of life. Plus you have the opportunity to make a real contribution to decisions that affect people. Came across this quote form Paulo Coehlo just now....
"Everybody is a political writer, even if he writes about plants. You cannot avoid being political. The fact that you speak out or that you are silent is a political act -- silence is also political."
The next step is to write a dissertation proposal that I can be proud of. And then to complete the dissertation itself. Another 2 years of splendid research and reading stuff that makes my adrenaline rush. Not a bad deal.
Lets get onto it...
So I don't really know what to write about - since a few topics deserve my attention and thoughts -- so let me start with ending the exams. 12th Feb 2010. A momentous day in my life now. The day I officially became a PhD candidate. I am very proud of this achievement. And very grateful that I was able to accomplish this. I may have made it clear that I am very proud, grateful, happy, excited of having the opportunity to study in a good school like the U of A in the land where dreams come true... Sounds filmy but it is true... I am privileged and I hope I make the best of this opportunity.
So being a Phd candidate.. or an ABD (All but Dissertation) signifies you are 2 steps away from attaining the attribution of being Dr. Aakriti Anilkumar Tandon. I may very well be Dr Aakriti Tandon-Atri by the time I get there, but the emphasis here is on the Doctor part. The sound of that word is going to be music for my ears. The surprising part is I didn't really grow up with this dream. I didn't want to do my Phd in International Relations until my Junior year while doing my BA in Journalism when I was exposed to a few classes in IR... and then there was no looking back. I know what I would love doing my entire life. And then IR/ politics permeates all aspects of life. Plus you have the opportunity to make a real contribution to decisions that affect people. Came across this quote form Paulo Coehlo just now....
"Everybody is a political writer, even if he writes about plants. You cannot avoid being political. The fact that you speak out or that you are silent is a political act -- silence is also political."
The next step is to write a dissertation proposal that I can be proud of. And then to complete the dissertation itself. Another 2 years of splendid research and reading stuff that makes my adrenaline rush. Not a bad deal.
Lets get onto it...
Friday, January 01, 2010
Jan 1, 2010
Aah -- the smell of a new year. During our childhood/ teenage years, a new year brings lots of new aspirations, hope, joy and excitement.
As we grow older, we cease making resolutions for we are afraid of breaking them. From our past experiences we have learnt that not many resolutions will make it past the first few weeks or months of the new year. And then life's routine will catch up with us wanting to do the best that we are capable of doing. However, I feel it is important to make resolutions.
Resolutions signify our inner intentions or at least what we know to be right but are incapable of doing, for whatever reasons we cite. Resolutions symbolize what we really would like to do with our lives, while sometimes they represent what we know our responsibilities ought to be but fall short of fulfilling completely. As a result, our resolutions help us be in touch with the path we know we should be walking on, but are maybe lost from. Its an attempt to do the right thing. So even if you can only follow your resolution for so long and it doesn't become a part of your lifestyle forever, you should attempt it. You should be proud of attempting to do whats right and good for you and not lament over the fact that you couldn't do it forever. Although the latter is the goal we aim to reach.
Plus we learn a lot over the year that just ended.. 2009 in this case. Resolutions are way of putting all this important knowledge to practical use. Of course you can find a lot of advise on what kind of resolutions you should make.. based on the likelihood of you following them.
I make resolutions too. I BELIEVE in them. There are some I follow longer than others, and every once in a while a resolution becomes a part of who you are, thus producing everlasting change. This year Ive decided this modest list below..
1. To speak less, listen and think more. Seems trivial. But its not. Its a calculated effort to say less, and make every word count more. All that I say should be aimed at something, instead of thoughtless words escaping from our mouths for no reason. I am not ruling out engaging in a little bit of harmless gossip every now and then... and having healthy debates and conversations to exercise my mind, but I intend to evaluate the consequences of my words before I put them out there into the universe.
2. Be self dependent and expect less from others, more from myself. Now -- this is way too broad. And most people would argue that such broad resolutions are unlikely to be kept because you cant have a clear game plan for following them... its difficult to follow such an all encompassing commandment. But the plan is this: to work towards expecting less from others, and to depend more on myself. as time passes on. This is not something I can do on Day 1.. but something I hope to start increasing day by day.
3. This one came to me just as I was writing this. I need to consider leaving behind a smaller environmental footprint. While Indians are pretty good about using natural things, living in America has brought its share of BADS in the form of over-reliance on non-organic food and other such products killing the environment. So I intend to be more conscious of the harm I am doing to the nature around me and try to minimize it.
Well, there is always the laundry list of... will not tell lies (tell as few of them as I possibly can), not hurt others (minimize this, and repent for when I end up hurting people), concentrate on working hard in my studies etc etc... :) And last but not the least, close the book on 2009 and every year before it. I need to do some writing on this to close the chapter on demons from a past life that come back to haunt me every once in a while... but until then, heres a sweet goodbye to everything that 2009 gave me and warm anticipation of everything 2010 has in store. Life is short and there is just a lot to be experienced!
A very Happy New Year to all of you.
As we grow older, we cease making resolutions for we are afraid of breaking them. From our past experiences we have learnt that not many resolutions will make it past the first few weeks or months of the new year. And then life's routine will catch up with us wanting to do the best that we are capable of doing. However, I feel it is important to make resolutions.
Resolutions signify our inner intentions or at least what we know to be right but are incapable of doing, for whatever reasons we cite. Resolutions symbolize what we really would like to do with our lives, while sometimes they represent what we know our responsibilities ought to be but fall short of fulfilling completely. As a result, our resolutions help us be in touch with the path we know we should be walking on, but are maybe lost from. Its an attempt to do the right thing. So even if you can only follow your resolution for so long and it doesn't become a part of your lifestyle forever, you should attempt it. You should be proud of attempting to do whats right and good for you and not lament over the fact that you couldn't do it forever. Although the latter is the goal we aim to reach.
Plus we learn a lot over the year that just ended.. 2009 in this case. Resolutions are way of putting all this important knowledge to practical use. Of course you can find a lot of advise on what kind of resolutions you should make.. based on the likelihood of you following them.
I make resolutions too. I BELIEVE in them. There are some I follow longer than others, and every once in a while a resolution becomes a part of who you are, thus producing everlasting change. This year Ive decided this modest list below..
1. To speak less, listen and think more. Seems trivial. But its not. Its a calculated effort to say less, and make every word count more. All that I say should be aimed at something, instead of thoughtless words escaping from our mouths for no reason. I am not ruling out engaging in a little bit of harmless gossip every now and then... and having healthy debates and conversations to exercise my mind, but I intend to evaluate the consequences of my words before I put them out there into the universe.
2. Be self dependent and expect less from others, more from myself. Now -- this is way too broad. And most people would argue that such broad resolutions are unlikely to be kept because you cant have a clear game plan for following them... its difficult to follow such an all encompassing commandment. But the plan is this: to work towards expecting less from others, and to depend more on myself. as time passes on. This is not something I can do on Day 1.. but something I hope to start increasing day by day.
3. This one came to me just as I was writing this. I need to consider leaving behind a smaller environmental footprint. While Indians are pretty good about using natural things, living in America has brought its share of BADS in the form of over-reliance on non-organic food and other such products killing the environment. So I intend to be more conscious of the harm I am doing to the nature around me and try to minimize it.
Well, there is always the laundry list of... will not tell lies (tell as few of them as I possibly can), not hurt others (minimize this, and repent for when I end up hurting people), concentrate on working hard in my studies etc etc... :) And last but not the least, close the book on 2009 and every year before it. I need to do some writing on this to close the chapter on demons from a past life that come back to haunt me every once in a while... but until then, heres a sweet goodbye to everything that 2009 gave me and warm anticipation of everything 2010 has in store. Life is short and there is just a lot to be experienced!
A very Happy New Year to all of you.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friendship..or love
Everyday is a new battle. Some are easier fought than others. The toughest sort of battle is when near ones don't get you.
Relationships are hard. Already burdened with the weight of expectations and emotions, as soon as you add one more thing, they are ready to crack and even break. And there is very little place for us emotional fools on this planet.
I believe that the hardest part lies in finding someone who connects with you on the most basic levels. Much like a puzzle, you must fit. The rest then doesnt seem too hard. Ofcourse dont start believing in a thing called love. It was only a term created to denote the mental disease that some of us catch or think we have. Its neither real nor everlasting. It is delusional. It is much like a drug -- gives you extreme highs and lows. And hence people like it. Like alcohol, like any other drug-- it is addictive.
A much better relation is friendship. Where people accept you for who you are. There are no strings attached. You dont have to promise a friend anything or continue to dole out fixed amounts of affection and gifts to continue being friends. You either get each other and hence like to meet up, hang out and have fun. Or you dont get each other and have no reason to be stuck with each other.
A marriage could turn out a lot better if the couple decides to be friends with each other, acknowledging that there will be times they will not see eye to eye but will give each other their own space and let each other do their own thing. No pressure. You could call this arrangement anything, even love, if that pleases you. But... beware .. as soon as you think you are treading down the path of love... you are going to go down the slippery slope of expecting and never know when you've lapsed into another broken heart.
Thus... "I long for friends, and I am weary of lovers..."
Love -- a beautiful description cannot but conceal the real truth -- love is but a figment of our imagination.
Describe to me what is this love? Whatever the answer you chose, can you find one pair that fulfilled the definition to the tee? Well, in my quest for love, I havent. And the claim that I havent looked far enough or long enough would be incorrect. I was a follower, more so a preacher of love to those around me. Love was a beautiful feeling. But one day you wake up from this dream. And realise that life is just a journey of self-realization, one in which all you must hope to pursue is 'NOTHING'. For however small or big your expectation from your lover or partner, remember, as humans they will falter and so will you. This will hurt. Once again, there is a way out of this eternal cycle of ecstasy and sorrow.
"Falling in love with yourself is the beginning of a life-long romance."
Relationships are hard. Already burdened with the weight of expectations and emotions, as soon as you add one more thing, they are ready to crack and even break. And there is very little place for us emotional fools on this planet.
I believe that the hardest part lies in finding someone who connects with you on the most basic levels. Much like a puzzle, you must fit. The rest then doesnt seem too hard. Ofcourse dont start believing in a thing called love. It was only a term created to denote the mental disease that some of us catch or think we have. Its neither real nor everlasting. It is delusional. It is much like a drug -- gives you extreme highs and lows. And hence people like it. Like alcohol, like any other drug-- it is addictive.
A much better relation is friendship. Where people accept you for who you are. There are no strings attached. You dont have to promise a friend anything or continue to dole out fixed amounts of affection and gifts to continue being friends. You either get each other and hence like to meet up, hang out and have fun. Or you dont get each other and have no reason to be stuck with each other.
A marriage could turn out a lot better if the couple decides to be friends with each other, acknowledging that there will be times they will not see eye to eye but will give each other their own space and let each other do their own thing. No pressure. You could call this arrangement anything, even love, if that pleases you. But... beware .. as soon as you think you are treading down the path of love... you are going to go down the slippery slope of expecting and never know when you've lapsed into another broken heart.
Thus... "I long for friends, and I am weary of lovers..."
Love -- a beautiful description cannot but conceal the real truth -- love is but a figment of our imagination.
Describe to me what is this love? Whatever the answer you chose, can you find one pair that fulfilled the definition to the tee? Well, in my quest for love, I havent. And the claim that I havent looked far enough or long enough would be incorrect. I was a follower, more so a preacher of love to those around me. Love was a beautiful feeling. But one day you wake up from this dream. And realise that life is just a journey of self-realization, one in which all you must hope to pursue is 'NOTHING'. For however small or big your expectation from your lover or partner, remember, as humans they will falter and so will you. This will hurt. Once again, there is a way out of this eternal cycle of ecstasy and sorrow.
"Falling in love with yourself is the beginning of a life-long romance."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Self Dependence
“There is no dependence that can be sure but a dependence upon one's self."
Others cannot disappoint you if all you depend on is yourself. Dependence is a dangerous thing, it is decepting. It creates a false sense of security, one that must ultimately be shattered. On the other hand, independence, like hope, is liberating. It teaches you to depend on yourself, and when you fall short of fulfilling your expectation, you will sit back & ponder on what you could do differently in the future. We humans are understanding of our own virtues, strengths, and shortcomings far more so than we are of others. Thus, we will forgive ourself. We will motivate ourself, and start walking one more time when we feel we haven't reached the goal we set out to. However, when others don't meet the goals we have set out for them in our minds, then we are disappointed. An easy remedy is to be self-dependent.
This does not mean that we are capable of doing everything ourselves and don't need human company around us. It just means that we only need ourselves for pursuing our most intimate and prized dreams and goals. We must not include others in this game plan. Everyone has been put on this planet to pursue their own game plan. Including someone on your team may lead to them de-priortizing you, naturally and understandably. So its best to follow your own path, your own journey. Should you meet someone on that walk, you should enjoy the companionship. But never expect the companion to outlast the journey, for we began the journey alone, and we should end it alone.
Once you set out to, its not so difficult to think of everyone around you as fleeting. Be grateful should they help you pursue your goal. Feel nothing when they don't, especially not disappointment, not anger, not resentment.
"Expectation is the root cause of all sorrow." When you learn to expect everything from yourself and nothing from anyone else, it will be that much easier to pursue your journey and the reason you are here.
The biggest gift you can give youself, the most significant lesson you can teach yourself.
Others cannot disappoint you if all you depend on is yourself. Dependence is a dangerous thing, it is decepting. It creates a false sense of security, one that must ultimately be shattered. On the other hand, independence, like hope, is liberating. It teaches you to depend on yourself, and when you fall short of fulfilling your expectation, you will sit back & ponder on what you could do differently in the future. We humans are understanding of our own virtues, strengths, and shortcomings far more so than we are of others. Thus, we will forgive ourself. We will motivate ourself, and start walking one more time when we feel we haven't reached the goal we set out to. However, when others don't meet the goals we have set out for them in our minds, then we are disappointed. An easy remedy is to be self-dependent.
This does not mean that we are capable of doing everything ourselves and don't need human company around us. It just means that we only need ourselves for pursuing our most intimate and prized dreams and goals. We must not include others in this game plan. Everyone has been put on this planet to pursue their own game plan. Including someone on your team may lead to them de-priortizing you, naturally and understandably. So its best to follow your own path, your own journey. Should you meet someone on that walk, you should enjoy the companionship. But never expect the companion to outlast the journey, for we began the journey alone, and we should end it alone.
Once you set out to, its not so difficult to think of everyone around you as fleeting. Be grateful should they help you pursue your goal. Feel nothing when they don't, especially not disappointment, not anger, not resentment.
"Expectation is the root cause of all sorrow." When you learn to expect everything from yourself and nothing from anyone else, it will be that much easier to pursue your journey and the reason you are here.
The biggest gift you can give youself, the most significant lesson you can teach yourself.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Why...
So life has a lot of whys... nothing new there.
I was just listening to a song about a lover going through hell because he hasn't seen his loved one since an entire day, is missing her...you get the background :D
So, what is about our brains and our hearts that we tend to take things, people, situations, blessings, favors etc for granted as soon as we get accustomed to them. On a similar logic, why does familiarity have to breed contempt or boredom? Why doesn't it breed comfort, understanding and a deeper bond?
Why do we only long for that which we dont have at present. As soon as we achieve it and the chase is over, why is it suddenly not on our TO DO list anymore?
Why does novelty wear off? While this is relevant to everything from a new phone to a new laptop to every new gadget you obtain, it is much more poignant in terms of relationships-- because of one prime distinction. We breathe, we feel, we live... unlike the gadgets we use to run our lives.
A few people would argue that this isn't true. You don't cease longing for the other person just as much, it is only that having achieved that goal, you move on to other better and bigger things, hopefully together. That may be true, but I cant buy the argument completely because it illustrates a couple of important and interesting human tendencies.
Firstly, the well known chase! The human race has convinced itself that the chase is the most important part of any journey. The exhilarating feeling of reaching the mountaintop is short lived, but the competitive and exciting journey to the top is full of anticipation of the unknown.
Secondly, it depicts our attention span, which has begun to resemble that of a bee. While I don't exactly know how long is a bee's attention span, I am certain that our own is reducing at a fast pace. We multitask! We chat and talk on the phone simultaneously. We text in class. We browse a million things simultaneously. We don't sit down and read a book for hours without stopping to check our email a few times in between. Vow-- it even sounds exhausting. And multitasking is definitely considered a virtue. But what about the effect it is having on the human ability to concentrate on one thing for long enough to understand it in depth and completely?
Call me crazy, but I wont chat with you if I am browsing/ reading. I wont answer your phone if I am chatting with a friend. To me multitasking means something else. It doesn't mean 'not living in the moment'.
Anyway, this article is moving away from relationships and closer to our work-styles. So getting back to the original topic: Why this sudden increase in ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in the human race?
Why do we need to move on to the next peak as soon as we have accomplished the first feat? How about staying there a while and cherishing the accomplishment, the sweet feeling of hard work being rewarded with success.
And, when will we realize that although everyday is not a Sunday, every 8th day is! Just like we need a break once every week, we need a repetitive cycle of the expression of love. :))
So, if you haven't done this lately -- call your loved one and tell them just how much you long to be with them. And if they are right next to you, tell them how much you cherish them. Or don't do anything, and move on. You do have a choice.
This all began with a recent discussion with my roommate about "instant gratification"-- more on that coming up sooner or later.
Aakriti
I was just listening to a song about a lover going through hell because he hasn't seen his loved one since an entire day, is missing her...you get the background :D
So, what is about our brains and our hearts that we tend to take things, people, situations, blessings, favors etc for granted as soon as we get accustomed to them. On a similar logic, why does familiarity have to breed contempt or boredom? Why doesn't it breed comfort, understanding and a deeper bond?
Why do we only long for that which we dont have at present. As soon as we achieve it and the chase is over, why is it suddenly not on our TO DO list anymore?
Why does novelty wear off? While this is relevant to everything from a new phone to a new laptop to every new gadget you obtain, it is much more poignant in terms of relationships-- because of one prime distinction. We breathe, we feel, we live... unlike the gadgets we use to run our lives.
A few people would argue that this isn't true. You don't cease longing for the other person just as much, it is only that having achieved that goal, you move on to other better and bigger things, hopefully together. That may be true, but I cant buy the argument completely because it illustrates a couple of important and interesting human tendencies.
Firstly, the well known chase! The human race has convinced itself that the chase is the most important part of any journey. The exhilarating feeling of reaching the mountaintop is short lived, but the competitive and exciting journey to the top is full of anticipation of the unknown.
Secondly, it depicts our attention span, which has begun to resemble that of a bee. While I don't exactly know how long is a bee's attention span, I am certain that our own is reducing at a fast pace. We multitask! We chat and talk on the phone simultaneously. We text in class. We browse a million things simultaneously. We don't sit down and read a book for hours without stopping to check our email a few times in between. Vow-- it even sounds exhausting. And multitasking is definitely considered a virtue. But what about the effect it is having on the human ability to concentrate on one thing for long enough to understand it in depth and completely?
Call me crazy, but I wont chat with you if I am browsing/ reading. I wont answer your phone if I am chatting with a friend. To me multitasking means something else. It doesn't mean 'not living in the moment'.
Anyway, this article is moving away from relationships and closer to our work-styles. So getting back to the original topic: Why this sudden increase in ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in the human race?
Why do we need to move on to the next peak as soon as we have accomplished the first feat? How about staying there a while and cherishing the accomplishment, the sweet feeling of hard work being rewarded with success.
And, when will we realize that although everyday is not a Sunday, every 8th day is! Just like we need a break once every week, we need a repetitive cycle of the expression of love. :))
So, if you haven't done this lately -- call your loved one and tell them just how much you long to be with them. And if they are right next to you, tell them how much you cherish them. Or don't do anything, and move on. You do have a choice.
This all began with a recent discussion with my roommate about "instant gratification"-- more on that coming up sooner or later.
Aakriti
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