28 years of "Being Me"

When the clock strikes 12 this Saturday morning (March 18), I will be 28 years old. Yes…one more step closer to an unknown destiny. One more year older and hopefully wiser too. This is the 6^th birthday I am spending away from my family in my entire life so far. Sure I get a lot of wishes on this day, sure I get a lot of hugs and good words from my friends and near ones here, but the feel of being with family is still something I yearn for.

As a tribute to myself, considering I never treat myself to anything too special, I decided to make a concise list of self-reflections. These are reflections of what it is like to be me. While some might be ‘myth-busters’ in my case, others are just plain revelations. As I see it this is nothing more than a checklist for me to hopefully re-organize it when I hit 29 next year. Not to mention getting over this nagging writer’s block.

Belief: I have a passion for eating pizza.
Fact: This is a clear # 1 misbelief many people have about me. Not true. I took to eating pizza only because this blessed country I live in does not have sufficient vegetarian options for pure veggies like me. In fact the first time I ever tasted a pizza was during Xmas of 2000 in the United States.

Belief: I am a patient person.
Fact: Partially true although I have realized my low threshold for peoples’ stupidity has made me more impatient. I hope this does not become a trait.

Belief: I am a team player.
Fact: Another major misconception with people in Technology. One of the best works I have produced is when I work in isolation. With time I have realized that it is no longer possible for me to spend time “connecting with people” when it comes to producing quality work. Given a choice, I would rather put on some light music and do the damn thing myself.

Belief: I watch too much television.
Fact: I watch a maximum of two select shows (each spanning about half an hour) each day. On a day when I am busy with other stuff I watch no television whatsoever. So far my television watching record lingers at around two hours maximum.

Belief: I cannot draw/paint/appreciate art.
Fact: This is another bane programmers have to live with. Somehow some misfit somewhere came up with a concept that programmers are “geeks” or “nerds” who have no understanding of art. I must have drawn about a thousand paintings, a few thousands of cartoons, and hundreds of sketches in my life so far. One of my goals in school was to become a traveling painter who visited places around the world and created art.

Belief: I have no association with music / I cannot sing.
Fact: I won all the awards in schools and colleges for best singing growing up in a music rich country like India. Not one contest has passed me by so far where I have not won a prize. Again, since my interest in the kind of music I am into differs from the popular culture of my current life, I choose to keep this to myself.

Belief: I do not read (novels etc) much.
Fact: I was an ardent reader in my younger days. Everything from Ruskin Bond to R K Narayan has been through my eager eyes. I still maintain my love affair with books although I do not like discussing my opinions with others about them. That is just me.

Belief: I do not like traveling and exploring new places.
Fact: I have always been a family person. I cannot imagine myself packing my bags and heading off to some unknown destination (non work related) to seek new horizons. I am all about relationships and hence need some face to identify where I am going. Travel to me is about adventure but is also about sharing it with someone I care about.

Belief: I cannot write in Kannada.
Fact: Up until recently many people I know believed this (and still do). Although Kannada was one language that I did not learn officially, for some reason no matter how scantily I used it, it never left me and I know it never will. I guess learning a mother tongue is like learning to ride a bicycle. One never really forgets.

Belief: I fall in love easily.
Fact: I have never been the kind of guy who carried his heart on his sleeve all the time. Although I never lost hope in true love either. It is just a matter of time before my hope is acknowledged.

I will be adding more to this list as and when I encounter ignorant folk who claim to have figured me out. Who knows...maybe I might surprise them (and myself!) in the process.

ShaKri