Unknown faces.......

"What do you do when life kicks you below the belt, and you can't even get up?"

"Do nothing. Stay put for a while until the storm passes over. Then get your ass off the ground and start walking again. And yeah, don't forget to thank life for the kick. Without it, you probably would've taken life lightly."

It's a late friday afternoon and i'm waiting in my cublicle for my manager to call me for the appraisal meeting. Slightly nervous although i know damn well that i'll have to wait another year for a pay hike. Read chez's response, sent a comment to ash, and as the hot badam milk burns my tongue, the above conversation pops up from memory.

It was nearly 10 years ago on a day, when i was conversing with a distant relative of mine. He is a peculiar character, and even today, he amazes me with his resilience and strength in the face of life's disasters. I was reeling after an overdose of failures and purposelessness, and while wandering on the beach, i found this fella sitting on the sand staring into the distant horizon. He'd just lost his work in the shrimp fields after discovering that his wife had all along been sleeping with his immediate boss(?), and probably had walked straight to the sea-shore from the toddy shop. In a small village like ours, news travels faster than a fart smell and such news runs at super fast speed. When i saw him there, i suspected that he'd come there to drown himself. But he was cheerful and within five minutes of blabbering, he spoke out the above lines. Today, he's still there in the same village, working in the same shrimp fields, and his wife still sleeps with someone else. He's the same cheerful fellow. I don't know whether to call him a success or a horrible failure. Nonetheless, he's a good man and the advice he gave that day, somehow has stayed in me.

The appraisals are going on in the next room, and looking at the pace, my turn seems to be scheduled for monday. I usually blog in between office hours and during lunch time. So one thing that makes this work more tolerable and enjoyable is the occasional dip into the world of blogs. It's been 6 months since i put shop in the blogosphere. So I'm a six month baby in the blogworld! My first visitor was Jen! She writes spontaneosly and i love her blog irrespective of any lack of fancy and high fireworks. Then came Bookworm! He wrote from a bookstore from timbuctoo and wrote very well too. I wonder where and why he disappeared suddenly. One of the most promising bloggers was Jen from states! I got into a very good discussion with her on two occassions and although, we differed in our views, it left no bitterness, at least in me. Now a days she writes very less, and i miss her intelligent views on a variety of issues. I also discovered some interesting blogspaces like those of Jay, Nick, and now recently, Blogchaat! Made good friends with Ash, who's a mix of sugar and chilly!!! Pulled Chez's legs on his Christian sermons and realised the futility of those stupid discussions! The other regular friends whom i visit often are Ro, Edu, Val, and recently, Elisa. Also encountered a hot headed idiot, Adrian and a very talented--don't-care-girl from orlando, Natalia!

In these 6 months i've had a fantastic time in the blogworld. I've learnt a lot from the writings of these friends and countless others here. I've written intermittenly on a few things and got patted on the back for the mediocre efforts. In short, it's been a fascinating experience for me--- posting my thoughts, reading the comments of these unknown friends, responding to those comments and watching friendships grow, visiting other blogs regularly and learning about the authors through their thoughts.....Never thought about all these when i wrote my first post on a rainy afternoon in early august.

As Nick said, what makes life possible is an intolerable anxiety of the unknown tomorrow. Hope the tomorrow brings more of such unknown gifts to everyone!!!