thecatharticview

  LIFE- A RACE? People often said and I used to believe: “Life is a race. Everyone starts at a different position and reaps the fruit of their hard work at their own pace and time.” But really… is life a race? I grew tired with this notion. How can something so beautiful and full of endless possibilities be reduced to just a race - a mere competition. The absurdity lies in the fact that life, often called a “race”, doesn’t even follow the rules of one. A race has a finish line- there are winners and losers. But the question is: Each individual is different and creative in their own way so how can one lose to someone else when the determination, the desires and mindsets are totally individualistic? Life is diverse. How can we limit it with a finish line, when its purpose and gift, at the same time, is to treat it as a canvas – to learn, grow, make mistakes and start over if you feel like? The times have changed. Even if life might not be considered a race, it...

If the notion of "things that make you feel alive" is really true, then I believe you will always find your way back to something you loved - in one form or the other. But only if you let that urge to try and explore, bloom. For me? Debates, Anchoring, School Plays, Mock Parliaments - basically, the stage. And when I say this, my entire school life plays in front of me. I don’t think schools ever made us feel the need for a change or introduced the concept of saturation. Academics and co-curriculars went hand-in-hand. Growth happened unknowingly. And the term – networking, was not even known but it was natural and already existed. Back in school, I was constantly a part of extra-curriculars. That kept me thrilled and to be more precise, satisfied.  After dropping out of DU and joining Thapar, I grabbed every opportunity. There was pressure- being a dropper I couldn’t afford to miss anything. Second year? I joined Frosh, a society that excited me to explore. No debates or spee...

  THE AEROPLANE Growing up, we slowly learn to embrace how important the little things are - how joyful childhood was, because we never thought, ”Oh! That would be so stupid to do”. A few months back, I got this little plane puzzle inside a pack of chocolates and I built it with the focus of a 5-year-old. And maybe sometimes you really need to forget the life you are in and dive back to the past-like moments. It was nothing big but I felt joy. And I think that’s enough for a reason. AIR-DRY CLAY There’s always that one activity you hated doing or you thought you are least interested in or impatient about or to put it simply - you thought you are terrible at it. Mine? Drawing, cutting, sketching or anything that involves scale, scissors and symmetry. I totally hated it but I realized moments arrive when you feel the urge to give such things a try - so I made a blue octopus (coz starting with your fav color is a good omen), a mushroom (because I didn’t purchase the white and purp...

How happy is the moment when someone - or even something becomes a part of you. This urged me to wonder - are we ever fully us ? I don't think we are. We are made up of parts of what we have met along the way -  the people we meet, the ones who stayed and the ones who left.  The passions we follow - crafting, acting or debating. The sunsets we love and the beaches we enjoy and for some, the little dog of theirs.

Most were drawn to the radiance of the red and green colors, some embraced the grace of orange, while a few adored the sparkling of blue. Some found joy in the chaos of colors, others admired the simplicity of gulaal, while a few were content as mere spectators.   But was any color really better than the other?   Well, it’s just the vision of billions of eyes, much like the diverse perspectives of people that arise. The question isn’t about which one’s right or wrong or even better, but about embracing the individuality of desires and choices.   Certain moments do arrive, when you need to tilt the kaleidoscope of life. For sorrows often fade away when seen through a shifted angle. And fulfillment and ambition do shine in different spangles.   It’s all a matter of perspective at last.    

1 Life is just like a canvas but a gifted one. Initially, you have no clue what to do with it. You like to play with the brushes, try silly things. There’s fascination, there’s joy and that thrill of the unknown much like the childhood with no sign of what the future will own. 2 Gradually it makes sense to you and a concrete idea is thought of. You want the visualized to come to life but you become exhausted as nothing good yields. And hence you become impulsive with the colours, just like the teenage with quick decisions. At that time, the palette beams a light at you just as parents and some friends do. There’s room for changing some colours while some unchangeable are lessons experienced by you. 3 The clock ticks and the time comes such that you learn to do things with a bit of a careful touch. Planning and reflection become part of the course just like the bustling adults. But there’s a point when we get stuck, right? May be when it becomes monotonous and seem no fun. That’s the mo...