Guess who is turning 30 in a couple of months? Okay, why do I find this scary all of a sudden? I am turning 30? I am turning 30! I am hyper-ventilating... Okay... my mom just smacked me and said not to jinx it lest I never turn 30. Point noted. Panic attack aborted.
To commemorate the occasion, I thought I'd come up with a list of things to do before I hit that third decade of my life and share it with those who are yet to get there. And for those of you who have already joined the 'three-oh' club... I hope you approve of the list!
Not included in the list:
1. Job, marriage, children and life insurance policies. Why duplicate our parents' list? (And also, I don't like to talk about things I don't have)
2. Pretentious imported frat fads like getting drunk till you get a hangover, having a one night fling, smoking grass, kissing a total stranger, shop lifting and getting into trouble just to go to jail. For those who think all that is adventurous, try my list!
So, by the wisdom bestowed upon me by
a. My beyond-my-age maturity
b. An internet quiz that placed my mental age at 85 (just because I said I prefer milk to beer)
c. My friend who rightly accused me of being 42 years of age,
I compile this check list that transcends all barriers of ethnicity (meaning, applicable to everyone in the world). And because I don't believe in practicing before preaching, I am yet to try most of them. Anyway, here we go!
1. Try a physically challenging activity -Try Bharatanatyam. You have to bend your knees in a position called the aramandi. That's not the challenge. You have to dance in that position! For the first five minutes it will seem easy. The next five minutes, your knees will be begging you to stand straight. Then they go numb. Its as if they don't care anymore. You think the darkest hour has passed. But it is you who passed out, dumbo! And the icing on the cake is, your knees will keep reminding you of the pain for the next 24 hours. Then the irony sets in. They will pain if you dance and they will pain all the more if you don't. And pre-30s is the time to experience that bitter-sweet pain you can brag about when you are old. And also because wounds (and torn knee ligaments) heal faster now. Your options, aside from the body-rending Bharatanatyam are, the spine-twisting yoga, bruise-cruising mountain biking, stamina-humiliating marathon... or the Nazi torture chamber.
2. Make an innocent relationship - Remember the time when we didn't choose friends by the parameters of popularity, money, looks, 'wave length' or utility? Have at least one person like that around to remind you of that childhood innocence of wanting nothing from each other.
3. Write a letter to the future you - In 20s, we are in an idealistic phase. We picture our life in a certain way. We still have principles and mumbo-jumbo like that. Write a letter to the future you on how you plan your life, how you wish them to pan out and what dreams you dreamed about for the future. Even attach a pic of you writing it! It would be fun (more of dark comedy actually) when you read this letter in your 50s! You'll know if you have stuck to the 'plan' or if life had other plans. That reminds me of a funny quote "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Actually laughing at this quote is also another thing you can do only before 30s. You will be too bitter to enjoy the humour post-30s.
4. Plant a tree - and no, investing in teak plantations does NOT count. Geez, greedy much? On a serious note, that tree will be all grown by the time you are 50 and you can poetically sit under it when the hair at your temples turns gray (if you are lucky to still have hair, that is). That plant will also be our apology to Mother Earth for all the toxic abuse we subject her to. Make it two if you don't economically use water, power, plastic and petrol.
5. Correct one character flaw - We all have flaws... yes, even me! (Surprising, isn't it?) What is more surprising is, we know we have them. That's the beauty of the 20s. We accept that we HAVE flaws and don't go about justifying or worse denying them. So, while your ego is still manageable, find out that one flaw which is drawing your character down the most. And when you have identified it, don't take it with you into the 30s.
6. Apologize, while you still can - No one prepares you for the complexities of relationships in adult life. (Thank God for my blog!) But the truth is most of them arise out of the 'E' word (the word is 'ego' if you are still wondering). A sincere 'sorry' has a lot of healing power... but, as we grow old, the word does not easily get past the larynx. So use your time to advantage and apologize and hug it out while you still can.
7. Find a cause - You may already be donating to an orphanage, spending time at an old age home, sponsoring a child's education, volunteering at an NGO, donating blood or saving a dying art form. But find that one cause that you are passionate about. Focus all your spare time, money and energy into that one cause and trust me, you WILL make a difference.
Whoever said age is just a number can't be any more dumber. Age is the sum total of experiences that one should learn from and grow wiser. Not deny its existence and live in a botox paradise.
Sure, age doesn't matter... but what you do with it does.
To commemorate the occasion, I thought I'd come up with a list of things to do before I hit that third decade of my life and share it with those who are yet to get there. And for those of you who have already joined the 'three-oh' club... I hope you approve of the list!
Not included in the list:
1. Job, marriage, children and life insurance policies. Why duplicate our parents' list? (And also, I don't like to talk about things I don't have)
2. Pretentious imported frat fads like getting drunk till you get a hangover, having a one night fling, smoking grass, kissing a total stranger, shop lifting and getting into trouble just to go to jail. For those who think all that is adventurous, try my list!
So, by the wisdom bestowed upon me by
a. My beyond-my-age maturity
b. An internet quiz that placed my mental age at 85 (just because I said I prefer milk to beer)
c. My friend who rightly accused me of being 42 years of age,
I compile this check list that transcends all barriers of ethnicity (meaning, applicable to everyone in the world). And because I don't believe in practicing before preaching, I am yet to try most of them. Anyway, here we go!
1. Try a physically challenging activity -Try Bharatanatyam. You have to bend your knees in a position called the aramandi. That's not the challenge. You have to dance in that position! For the first five minutes it will seem easy. The next five minutes, your knees will be begging you to stand straight. Then they go numb. Its as if they don't care anymore. You think the darkest hour has passed. But it is you who passed out, dumbo! And the icing on the cake is, your knees will keep reminding you of the pain for the next 24 hours. Then the irony sets in. They will pain if you dance and they will pain all the more if you don't. And pre-30s is the time to experience that bitter-sweet pain you can brag about when you are old. And also because wounds (and torn knee ligaments) heal faster now. Your options, aside from the body-rending Bharatanatyam are, the spine-twisting yoga, bruise-cruising mountain biking, stamina-humiliating marathon... or the Nazi torture chamber.
2. Make an innocent relationship - Remember the time when we didn't choose friends by the parameters of popularity, money, looks, 'wave length' or utility? Have at least one person like that around to remind you of that childhood innocence of wanting nothing from each other.
3. Write a letter to the future you - In 20s, we are in an idealistic phase. We picture our life in a certain way. We still have principles and mumbo-jumbo like that. Write a letter to the future you on how you plan your life, how you wish them to pan out and what dreams you dreamed about for the future. Even attach a pic of you writing it! It would be fun (more of dark comedy actually) when you read this letter in your 50s! You'll know if you have stuck to the 'plan' or if life had other plans. That reminds me of a funny quote "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Actually laughing at this quote is also another thing you can do only before 30s. You will be too bitter to enjoy the humour post-30s.
4. Plant a tree - and no, investing in teak plantations does NOT count. Geez, greedy much? On a serious note, that tree will be all grown by the time you are 50 and you can poetically sit under it when the hair at your temples turns gray (if you are lucky to still have hair, that is). That plant will also be our apology to Mother Earth for all the toxic abuse we subject her to. Make it two if you don't economically use water, power, plastic and petrol.
5. Correct one character flaw - We all have flaws... yes, even me! (Surprising, isn't it?) What is more surprising is, we know we have them. That's the beauty of the 20s. We accept that we HAVE flaws and don't go about justifying or worse denying them. So, while your ego is still manageable, find out that one flaw which is drawing your character down the most. And when you have identified it, don't take it with you into the 30s.
6. Apologize, while you still can - No one prepares you for the complexities of relationships in adult life. (Thank God for my blog!) But the truth is most of them arise out of the 'E' word (the word is 'ego' if you are still wondering). A sincere 'sorry' has a lot of healing power... but, as we grow old, the word does not easily get past the larynx. So use your time to advantage and apologize and hug it out while you still can.
7. Find a cause - You may already be donating to an orphanage, spending time at an old age home, sponsoring a child's education, volunteering at an NGO, donating blood or saving a dying art form. But find that one cause that you are passionate about. Focus all your spare time, money and energy into that one cause and trust me, you WILL make a difference.
Whoever said age is just a number can't be any more dumber. Age is the sum total of experiences that one should learn from and grow wiser. Not deny its existence and live in a botox paradise.
Sure, age doesn't matter... but what you do with it does.
7 comments:
Amazing mam...and i have just created a list to do before getting into 30 and that includes...do atleast one thing you wanted to do in your list... :)
Bhayapettavu akka. 25 ke "edo okati peekali" kaastaa "emaina peekagalama?" ki maaaripoyindi. 30 ki emouthundo... :P
Good One Sowmya!!!
good one spare a thought for us...about to turn 50 soon...Scary..rally .. well written
:)
Wondered who you were when i chanced upon "కడచేనటే సఖియా". Liked the way you sang it, went about looking for the Original- Voleti's was even more enticing. Thanks.
More of your 'productions'..? Please do keep me posted.
Was pleasantly surprised when i read your story "నేనింతే" in KathaKoumudi. Nice.
I edit kottapalli (http://kottapalli.in)- It is a monthly magazine for telugu speaking children. have you seen it?
Wishing you the very best.
Thank you very much sir.... visited kottapalli... joined as a member, left a comment on your official id... thank you for all the appreciation :)
haha... good luck with the 50s sir... can't give any thought to it yet... ;)
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