Skip to main content

Turning 30

I am turning 30 today. I thought I didn't really care about that number. It didn't matter, it's just a number I told myself, same as 29, or 28. But as it turns out, I am a little sad. I am sad that I will no longer be in my 20s, the decade I considered undeniably "young". This is also a time that is making me introspect about what I am yet to do, yet to learn and yet to achieve. It is silly really, but I think all the years of brainwashing that society and movies drill into you have had an effect on me. I thought I was immune to this, but apparently I am not. 

But, if you look at it another way, I needn't be sad at all. In fact, I should be happy that I am still young and have seen a little bit of life and therefore am wiser. So today, I want to remind myself of all the good things in my life and also of all that I have achieved so far, the goals I had set that have been completed, or are at least on their way to completion. 

  1. I am an independent working woman and live my life on my own terms.
  2. I may not be as well off to own the big things, but I am comfortable, comfortable enough to be able to send some money home every month and yet not feel deprived for the lack of it.
  3. According to my mentor, I have made good professional decisions about my career and am on the right path. This validation is very important to me as I respect him a lot and know that if he says something, it is to be believed.
  4. I have faced a lot of struggle during my childhood and am so much the stronger for it. It has shaped my personality in a way that I am grateful for. 
  5. I have become comfortable living alone, even started enjoying it. This is something that makes you stronger and realize your strengths and weaknesses like nothing can. 
  6. I have been in a stable relationship for more than 5 years now and feel proud and lucky to have found the right person who is on the same page as me and understands me so well.
  7. I have cultivated some good friendships over the years and even though I may not see them as often as I would like to, I know that they have my back and I theirs. And, I am so grateful to have them in my life.
  8. I have a wonderful family who have given me the freedom to do what I like, who love me unconditionally and support me wholeheartedly no matter what!
  9. I have done some travelling, have seen new places and am all geared up to see more in the coming years. 
  10. I have not shied away from learning new things, even those that have put me out of my comfort zone and am so much the richer for it!
So, all I want to say to myself today is "Happy birthday. You are doing well. Just keep at it. :) :)" 

Love,
RS
Labels:

Comments

  1. MadhumitaSeptember 23, 2016 at 10:33 AM

    Happy birthday Rati! And welcome to the club.. I joined only a couple of months ago but I can tell you - life isn't all that bad, quite the opposite, actually :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RSSeptember 23, 2016 at 10:41 AM

      Thanks Madhumita. :) Good to know I have friends to show me the path. :D :P

      Delete
  2. RSSeptember 23, 2016 at 10:40 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sanjoy MukherjeeJanuary 3, 2017 at 9:34 AM

    Hi Ratidi, this is Sanjoy. I just read your piece in Elixer, and finding it so true to my experience, I came to the blog from the given link. The relative isolation of postdoc life really forces me to rethink all things.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RSJanuary 3, 2017 at 8:53 PM

    Thanks Sanjoy. Yes, postdoc life is pretty lonely. But, it's also a time for immense growth. :) Hope you are taking in as much as you can during this phase of your career. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A letter to the "smart" students

To the students who think they're so smart that they can fool the instructor: Sorry to break this to you, but no, you're not fooling anybody! In fact, you are the fool if you think otherwise. So, let me tell you something that might shine a light on your otherwise dead brain. Learning is a two-way street. If you want to learn, I am willing to teach over and beyond what is expected of me. I will still teach even if you don't want to learn because that is my job. However, like they say, you can only bring the horse to the water, you cannot make it drink.  When you leave the class, I notice. When you talk, I notice. When you don't bring a notebook or a pen and pretend to be attentive, I notice. So, to reiterate, you're really not fooling anybody. I frankly don't care. I am happier teaching a small class of students who are sincere and want to learn. In fact, that's better for me. As then, we are in sync and I don't have to worry about the distractor
8 comments
Read more

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: A book review

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Pachinko is a story spanning four generations of a Korean family living in Japan during the tumultuous 20th century that saw the annexation of Korea by Japan and the two world wars. The story of the family is pretty tragic. They deal with poverty, discrimination, suicide, forced imprisonment, all consequences of war and hatred from Japanese. What I liked about this book is that it tells you a lot about what happens when people are displaced and try to make a new place their home in the time of war and chaos. I admit my ignorance in that I had never heard of the term "Zainichi" which literally means foreigners living in Japan. The Zainichi even though born and raised in Japan are not considered Japanese citizens. They were made to choose between North and South Korea after the Korean war of the 1950s even though they have not known any country other than Japan. These people have faced a lot of discrimination and negativ
Post a Comment
Read more

Tribute to Kankan Sir

Prof. Kankan Bhattacharyya was an eminent scientist and I'm sure his students will tell you about all the ways he trained them to become scientists. However, my interactions with him and memories of him are more of  a personal nature. I first met him in February 2019 right after I joined IISER Bhopal to begin my independent research career. In the dining hall of the Visitors Hostel at IISER Bhopal, there was one person who was the loudest, constantly cracking jokes, teasing people and taking the conversation forward. I was introduced to him, i.e, Kankan Sir, by one of my colleagues there and he immediately involved me too in the ongoing conversation. He was that person who instantly made you feel at home. Every day following this first interaction was a joy as he was constantly the life of the dining hall. Everyone  used to be clustered around him. He was such an enthusiastic person and so full of life that it was infectious. He also, in his own way, constantly tried to motivate us
Post a Comment
Read more