This Journey Called Life (Part 1)

A very HAPPY NEW YEAR, guys! May this year of the horse treat you with a lot of affection and care!

So, I have been away for a while now, trying to make a mark in my professional life. Some great strides happening there and Bangalore has welcomed me with a rather lavish sprinkling of love, luck and fun :) Here's something that I think of every time I take my EH-8843 for a long ride. Hope you enjoy reading it. Show me the thumbs-up if you want to see the second part too :)

You know how everybody from your father to your English teacher in school to that know-all Professor in college always said ‘Kid, Life’s a Journey?’ Well, guess what! They are not wrong! I was just thinking about my time in school and college (which seem like eons ago) and realised to my amazement how we brush aside so much that we learn for free. I mean, something that we did not enrol for…  Something that was just passed on in a matter-of-fact way without much emphasis on its importance…. Something that… errr.. You get the point, don’t you?


A couple of months ago, I wrote this poem about how the strain of two people in love can be likened to the situation where one is looking to cross the road and move to a place of safety. I realise now that there is much more to learn from the road! It has important lessons for the bright mind that has the tenacity to absorb and come to terms with simple truths of life.

1.      Gear up for the ride.

Remember how it was when your college group set out to conquer the road to Ooty on bikes and being a novice at riding, you couldn’t be more excited? In all your euphoria, you did not really think the journey through, did you? Given a chance now, wouldn’t you do it differently? By the time you flagged off your third or fourth long distance ride, did you not know what to carry and what to wear?

Life, in general is the same! You need to buck up. Be prepared. Have the right armour on so that you are ready for it when the battle is on. Preparation is the key. A couple of times, you force it upon yourself and later, it just becomes a habit; the armour becomes a part of your body. If the unforeseen happens, well you did your bit to prevent it. So fret not!

2.      It’s gonna be a Long Journey.

Long rides are not easy, especially if you are doing it without a significant break! The hard-core bikers will agree with me on this. It definitely is back-breaking and butt-numbing. But the ones who survive these will quite easily finish the shorter rides with greater ease. Also, you find that the tougher ones feel more rewarding in the end because you challenged yourself to do it.

The journey of life is not very different too. The ‘successful’ people you see in your fields have all worked that extra mile to get noticed and clamp their flags in the sands of time. Hardships come and go but the ones who defeat them remain!

3.      Ask for directions.

If you are a regular at adventurous rides where you take off without having a clear idea about the route or the destination, your friendly Google Maps for help. No network? Physical maps, then! But the best bet is a local who obviously knows much more than you do! So, when in a lurch, you turn to a person who is an expert, right?

Why do you think life in general is any different? This motto in life is applicable at every step. If you are lost, there's no reason why you should not ask the person you trust, to show you the path. Remember, the key here is to ask someone whose advice you will not regret taking! So, be wise. 

To be continued...