It's a wonderful world...

March to your own different drummer, look to your own shining star,
Follow the path you have chosen,
Dream till your dreams have come true.
Keep on believing in you.

Anon. ( have it on one of my cherished bookmarks!)

Joy and agony, companionship and loneliness, dreams and sawdust. It's the end of another year.
Every year we start with a fresh quota of hope, a fresh boost in our mental outlook. 2004 has seen more than its share of devastation, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods all taken into account. Although it has dented our lives, it still has to touch our collective spirit. Every tragedy has only shown us how closely our lives are entwined together, and thanks to the technology ( to think I only ever used comps for Pacman. Blasphemy!), I echo Friedman, The World is Flat.
On a personal note too, its been a year of upheavel. Anyways, I have learnt something our (wise?) elders have tried hammering into our young and headstrong minds.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.
Everytime you think life is unfair, count your blessings. Count every friend who has been there for you, count every smile, every wild impulse, every carefree whoop of joy you've heard. Count your family, and rate them high. Count your buddies again, 'coz you would never have gotten anywhere without them.
It does sound like I'm a proselytizing elder myself, but I'm NOT! Oddly enough, I'm not even pious. Er, now where did that come from?
However I suddenly do feel like telling everyone who is down and out, or feeling the dirty blues not to give in (boy! did the sages feel the power of revelation :D ??!!) That life will always have lessons for us to learn, and tough rounds to clear. That everytime life kicks you in the teeth, NEVER GIVE IN. Fight back, 'coz we only get to live once. I never cease to be amazed by the strength of the human spirit. People fight physical, mental and emotional trauma a lot of which I can't even imagine going through. Everytime I hear of them, it only renews my faith in human fortitude. Every story of courage gives me a glow. (And I've just realized I'm an incurable romantic, and probably a naive nitwit. Yeah, so? )
While this good mood lasts, I may as well finish pouring my thoughts out. (Tomorrow may hear me curse the same species if a penny-thieving ***** pisses me off on a lousy monday morn! :D)
And so, this is my tribute to everyone who has fought the fogs and come through.
This post is also my welcome for the Year '06. Bring it on!
P.S : http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/29/opinion/29twilson.html?incamp=article_popular this is just an interesting article I read. I always believed in "look before you leap". Oh well, another illusion shattered. Shriya hereby declares to shoot first and puke later!

Have a smashing year, people!

Shriya