the b-entry

To contemplate one’s existence in this mad world is a tad too tiresome, and at times, excruciatingly morbid. To factor in a significant amount of mathematics makes it even more dreadful. But once a year we are forced to philosophise and ponder with sugar and frosting. I suppose ageing is inevitable. However, I am not one to wallow in delightful thoughts concerning my mortality. Not today. Besides, according to society and its asinine rules, one must engage in frivolous affairs to celebrate the commemoration of one’s beginning. Since I do not find these things particularly pleasant, I shall, instead, honour this day by taking the time to immortalise in text the lessons I have learned so far from this voyage.

In this life, nothing is ever easy. The sea is vast and the wind is treacherous. You can never tell where you are travelling to. Sometimes, you have to fight the current to stay on your course. Sometimes, you just have to let the waters take you where it desires to go. Each of us must travel our own way. The people we meet along our journey are simply travellers who are, at the moment, traversing through a similar course. At some point, forks are going to appear ahead and different courses will make themselves known. Do not be fooled by other people’s paths. Your happiness does not exist in someone else’s journey. Unless you try to weave your way through on your own, you will never truly appreciate the road you are on. Hey, Frost says.

There is something utterly satisfying in realising achievements by means of hard work. There is value and meaning in soiled and bleeding hands. There is a sense of fulfilment in a weary body.  A truly accomplished person is a tired person. I do realise how astoundingly absurd I must sound but there’s no denying the truth about exhaustion. Thou must not fear fatigue, lest thou desireth a hollow existence. Nah. I made-eth it all up-eth.

Friendships are important. Look for a friend who is not afraid to disagree with you. Look for someone who is not afraid to tell you how big your arse looks in those jeans. In friendships, similarities are not important—honesty is. If you are looking for likeness, join a clique. If you want a good friend, then be a good friend. Friendships teach us the value of give and take. But be careful of false friends. They appear in the guise of sincerity and truth, but are truly clothed in foul garments whose odour reeks in moments when you are caught unaware.

Apologise to people when you have wronged them. But never be caught being manipulated to ask for apologies from people who have wronged you. ‘Forgive and forget’ is a whimsical idea. Forgetting is a complex act that can only be successfully achieved if one’s heart is true enough to sincerely forgive another.

Romantic relationships are fragile. I believe that friendship is a necessary step to a healthy romantic relationship. As time goes by, the fluttery feelings disappear. Roses and candles won’t do the trick. But people who are bound together by true love and friendship are able to surpass challenges that require more than just fluttery feelings. More often than not, love evolves from being a feeling to being a choice. Of course, you don’t choose the person you fall in love with, you simply do. However, as time passes, being with that person becomes a matter of choice. You choose to be faithful, you choose to be honest, etcetera, and you choose to be all of these things because you want to—not because you have to. Because you love that person, not because you love the idea of being with a person. Love is complex and each of our experiences is unique. There are no right or wrong ideas when it comes to love because love can never be an objective concept measurable by any standards.

In every journey, a map is a vital tool every traveller must have in order to successfully reach the desired destination. But in this life, maps, blueprints, and plans are not infallible. You can plan ten years into the future but there is no guarantee for follow through. Life does not come with a foolproof device or a manual. There is no autopilot button. A planned experience is not an experience at all but simply an enactment of a predetermined course of action. Where’s the fun in that?

The way I see it, there is no finality to life. The end is simply an illusion. But I could change my views about all of this in a day or so. I am, after all, awfully temperamental. We’ll see. I dare say the world sure is lucky to have such an enchanting creature—ahem, me—around. Here’s to another year of traipsing. Cheers!