Metacognition

It's begun. You know, 2007. I spent my last hours of 2006 dancing to pulsating remixes at a Bombay disco. And then the clock struck midnight. And nothing happened.

If you ask me- not that you did, but I'll tell you anyways- New Year's is overrated. Other holidays I can understand. Diwali has religious importance, Gandhi Jayanti celebrates the life of a great soul, even Groundhog Day is seasonally significant. But what is New Year's really? The beginning of another day, just like every other day. Except it becomes a cause for celebration because the year is changing, though we don't celebrate the beginning of every month, every day, every hour. A year gone by is a year to reminisce about, another three hundred and sixty-five days worth of time that has become the past in a neatly packaged unit called '2006'.

Look back- what have you accomplished? I can only speak for myself. Pragya Bhagat obtained a piece of paper known as a degree, which basically says I spent four years of my life slodging so that I could move on to Level 2-eight additional years slodging in medical school. Then I came to Bhopal, probably the best decision I've made in a while. But even here, I do what is required, taking interest in my work and learning from it, going out every once in a while to venture out and explore bits and pieces of India or visit family in Delhi. But I come once again to the question: What have I really accomplished? I can't claim to be a chess grandmaster whose prodigy skills were discovered at age five, nor can I recite all the countries and their capitals listed on the atlas like those children India Abroad loves to do full page profiles on. I am not a sports champion, and the only reason my name has appeared in the paper was because I was one of hundreds of students whose name was listed in microscopic print as a recipient of some award I can't even remember the name of. So really, another year has gone by and I haven't accomplished anything. I've made decisions, both good and bad. I've reached certain conclusions that aren't supposed to be stark realizations, but have come to be my truths, such as

1) Being twenty-two isn't really all that different from being twenty-one, except you start counting down the years until thirty, and who knows what you look forward to then (*joke* i'm sure thirty is a very secure age to be)
2) Even though I haven't lived very long, I have lived enough to know that I will always think I know how the world works, even if I discover something new every day.
3) I am not always right, but that's okay, because I don't have to be. That doesn't mean being wrong is preferred, but it is not unacceptable.
4) I have immense respect for people who find happiness in simple lifestyles.
5) Everything I have done academically in the past sixteen years has been towards a career- I can never be a housewife and pretend as if that part of my life did not matter. Yes, I am sure.
6) Resolutions are just a way of postponing what you subconsciously do not want to do. If you want to go to the gym, stop reading this and go now. Why wait?
7) Silence is not a bad thing. Neither is spending time by yourself. You spend time with other people to understand who they are. How will you understand who you are?
8) My life has become a series of songs that I listen to according to what I am feeling. Literally.
9) I don't really want to do ten since that's so cliched as it is, so I've saved the best for last- a fool-proof method to get rid of hiccups: take in as much air as your lungs can manage, hold your breath for five seconds, take in some more air, hold for a few seconds, and slowly exhale. I'm telling you, it has never failed me. The method is hereby patented through this blog.


So there you have it. Words of wisdom you probably couldn't care less about, but they have become my reality. Of course there's more to my life than nine points, but I find that decisions I make often fall under one or more of the above categories. Today, spend a few minutes thinking about what you've accomplished. And if there's something you have wanted to do for a while, know that this moment will never come again. As for me, I will make full use of this moment by enjoying my oh-so-scrumptious-melt-in-your-mouth Cadbury.