The elixir of life ..

Twenty-four years, four months and fifteen days. No two seconds of this adventurous travel have been the same as every second kept changing. 'Change' has invariably been the motto of my life, the essence of it, the synonym and in fact the very definition of my life; a sagacious few, I remember, have remarked that the only constant thing in our lives is 'change.'

Over so many years, change has enveloped me. My school of thought, opinions, emotions, reactions, disposition, personality, my know-how, my language, habits, hobbies, priorities, my choices, apparel - all of them have taken turns to prostrate before this evangelist called 'change' and reverentially allowed themselves to be the subjects of this ecclesiastical conjurer who kept waving his magic wand and changing their shades time and again.

I confess that I've melodiously kept singing the change anthem every day and I lay fully engrossed in the change theater. But sometimes commonplace and everyday events, flick on new light on my rather obtuse brain, and persuade it to sink its teeth on a fresh fodder of thought.

One day, as I dexterously prepared extra-large morsels of sambhar rice and hastily threw them down my throat (for the fear of missing my train), Mom started off listing out her "Do's and Don'ts" for me once I reach Bangalore. Starting from 'Don't venture out into crowded places' to 'have proper three meals,' she recited her usual piece of poetry, as she normally does, each time I travel. But her 'travel prescription,' which I always dismissed off saying “Ma please, I know it,” this time, surprisingly struck me with an incredible quantum of impact.

Each time I moved out of town, the list of cautions my parents come up with, has been the same. Even today, when I go out for work in the morning, their list of directions are the same as what they used to be when I started going to school in 1991. Though I was content that my life kept changing on a daily basis, I somehow failed to appreciate the fact that my parents haven't changed an iota. Over the years, the warmth of their love hasn't changed and it finally occurred to me that the change theory isn't applicable to my parents.

Quoting another incident, during early December, my school, as usual made it to the list of top schools in India and ever since I read this piece of news, I have had an irrepressible longing to visit school and so I did. As I embraced my teachers and spoke my heart out to them on the day of the Alumni Meet, it pleasantly dawned on me that they still had the same measure of commitment and penchant for teaching as they did when I left school. Amazingly one of my teachers has been serving Little Flower for the past 47 years with the same zeal and fervor for imparting education ! Can you imagine that ?

My teachers perennially continue to be the pillars of this phenomenal institution and all of them are still with school, magnanimously parting with their life for the cause of education since decades galore. This unchanged glory and repute of Little Flower High School and the unchanged zest for excellence on the part of my teachers make me a proud alumnus of this divine institution. No wonder it still continues to be one among the best schools of India. The reason behind its roaring success, I firmly believe, is the unchanged morals and values it was built upon, 58 years ago.

Sometimes, not everything changes. And the moment they change, they lose their beauty and their purpose. I wouldn't want a change in the quantum of love my family has for me. I'd hate to see a change in the repute of my school. Just for a change, I don't want the comfort zone I share with a few old friends to take a beating.

I don't think I'd accept the sky and water turning yellow, the earth stopping its rotation, the sun declaring its decision not to shine - just for a change. Would you even afford to think of the consequences?

Taking this a step ahead, you'd realize that some of the most successful relationships in life are the ones that don't change. Relationships with parents, siblings, a few good old mates , most of the times, don't change coz the measure of emotions involved have grown thicker and thicker, reach the apex and finally defy any possible change. These relationships are immortal just like the sun, moon and the stars. They have no death, they have no change destined.

While these immortal relationships, despite occasional tiffs and misunderstandings, remain constant over the time, some other relationships undergo ‘change’ and fizzle out with time. And God knows the reasons why some are change-resistant and some others are not.

While it's totally true that you can't avoid a few fiascoes in relationships and every relationship,( be it changed or unchanged), teaches you something, I think I'd honor a relationship which has been robust, sturdy and unchanged. I strongly refuse to believe in the 'People evolve, things change, tastes begin to differ and hence relationships dilute' philosophy. Relationships are supposed to be everlasting, permanent and change-proof.

While change is an essential part of life in a few aspects(remember it stands for progress, newness , freshness and spells advancement) , unchangeability is an even more critical element of life as it makes life seem more purposeful and retains the very meaning of it.

If change is the definition of life, then unchangeability is the elixir of life which cures the ills of the heart, mind and soul and gives the impetus to live life king-size. Regardless of how change-soaked we are, it’s only the unchanged aspects which usher a sense of peace and bliss into our lives. No matter how unitedly we sing the change hymn every day, deep within our hearts we are all secretly yearning for those things which haven’t changed over the years.

Measure your wealth by the number of things that haven’t changed - they form your identity, they are your true possessions and they are your riches.

For

my family,

my school and teachers( specifically Ms. Mary Josephine, who's been with LFHS for a whopping 47 years and is still with school retaining the excellent standards of education. I wish I could continue writing out the names of all my teachers who are still with school. Their unchanged commitment and passion for the field of education keeps the flag of Little Flower flying high in the sky.)

and some friends ..

Wishing all these precious things of mine, a lot of unchangeability !! :-)

Cheers !