CELEBRATIONS AND SUSHI
When you meet friends whom you’ve known for OVER 20 years and more, you kind of start from where you left off. There are no awkward moments, nor any irrelevant pleasantries to exchange. The conversation simply flows, just like the laughter! A Vacation trip with my besties from college last month was fantastic. I felt like I had once again become the college kid who would speak her mind and laugh out loud without fear of being judged or misinterpreted.
Traveling over the hills, driving past tea estates and misty landscapes we felt ecstatic! Reliving those moments of carefree freedom, countless dreams, and unimaginable naivety. Talking about old times, college crushes, and more. Catching up on friends’ whereabouts- who was doing what, A whirlwind of topics that need not even bear relevance to time or theme!
St. Xavier’s College Mumbai lives in some part of every Xavierite whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. There is a magic within those magnificent walls that cannot be described. Even today the lending library beckons- I wish I had spent more time in those rustic alleys and read more. The Woods, the first Quad, and the Arches appear before my eyes- if only I had lounged around more than I did. A little bit longer in the IMG please, whispers my favorite rendition by Ghulam Ali.
Looking down at the valley from Dolphin’s Nose, Coonoor, we felt that whatever each one of us had achieved was irrelevant. How mindlessly we had been caught up for the past 2 decades trying to reach a position in our careers, personal lives, and more. The endless rat race seemed so futile from up here. Everything looks like a speck when u look at it from a height. The importance we tiny particles of energy attach to ourselves is hilarious!
By the bonfire that night at the cozy homestay, we made a few new friends. With a certain family, the connection was different. Like an instant link. We began chatting and continued like we’d known each other for years. The family was from Delhi and was celebrating Dusshera holidays with their son. Like most Delhiwale these guys were foodies- so obsessed with taste and culinary ecstasy that they had named their pet cat also SUSHI!
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes in amusement.
With the addition of new friends, the college reunion trip became a lively celebration.
Those few but wonderful days left us with lingering regret! Why hadn’t we understood in our 20s what we realized now? That the only things that endear over time are the memories we make. Our lives are only a series of events- one leading to another. It is imperative to live each day to the fullest. We must squeeze it dry and move on... Celebrate your experiences irrespective of what they bring- happiness, joy, hard work, heartbreak, or suffering!
Life is like sushi- made of exotic, colorful ingredients rolled together and served before you. Pick it up and relish the different flavors- some you like, some you don’t. It is ok!
That’s all we need to live successfully– Celebrations and Sushi!
