Hi Vinay

I am writing this for you to read twenty years from now. I wish you are more positive and less cynical when you read this. I wish you are an accomplished and humble scholar when you are reading this. I wish you are a satisfied teacher when you are reading this. And I wish you are as curious and energetic as you were when writing this.

Since I know you would have passed through a richer set of experiences, I would like this post to just give you a detailed rumination of what you were going through when you wrote to yourself. If you are smiling while reading this, you are probably imagining what I am right now--that you went through several intricacies and idiosyncrasies; and you have become a reason to be proud of for your parents, a reason to be happy for your soul mate, and a reason to lead stronger life for your kids--because when you wrote this, you were different. You were a widely recognized ass that carries loads others can't; you were a self-starter and a premature finisher; you were organized but reckless; you set high standards but remained intolerant; you were loved but by just few; you loved but were selective; you were strong but demanding; you were ambitious but desperate; you studied but just too much.

There were memories you would cherish, Vinay, which I want to write down. You have a boy just into his seventh month. And you knew that you could not spare much time for your little one, but his eyes were filled with your image and happiness together. You have a loving wife without whose support you would not have come so far. Where you are right now is really because of how she shared her moral strength with you. It is her wisdom that built your success, brick by brick. And more importantly, you have parents who dedicated their life to you. It is on their blood and sweat where lay the foundations of your character and confidence. Your mother taught you reading and writing, things which you loved while writing this; and your father taught you how to work and decide.

For once, smile before reading further, Vinay. Because it would be silly when it has all ended. You were going through a rut of administrative activity in your college that you believed was managed utterly unprofessionally. You were teaching for your third semester, and you were very eager as to how best you can organize a course. You had a colleague who was tiring in his effort to connect your spiritual instinct. You just thought, while writing this, that it was better to get back to corporate--you were frustrated with the lack of professionalism and accountability in academic arena. You were just beginning to believe that you should probably project yourself as incompetent, so that you could avoid the donkey's job of accounting for idiots' incompetence.

Vinay, I would like to write here to remind you, that you were aware of how you should be, but you just weren't in the right make up yet. But I am sure, you are a learned being, and you are still evolving--because you would always admit that learning is the goal.

In the end, Vinay, I must tell you if what I have written proves wrong anywhere, please do not be disappointed, there is another letter you can write to yourself and move along with life. Because life is really fascinating!

Cheers!

Yours
Myself

Long time since I logged on to plinky, and the question is if I feel obligated to finish all books I have started reading. Good one there!

I am a tad too choosy about the books I read. So more often, I tend to take them in a one-read session, or at best stagger my read into three sessions to four. Beyond that, there are a number of factors I can imagine which do not really push me to touch the book again. I do feel a little obligated to read their conclusion still, but that may not really be the reason to push me to my books. Let me put it this way: if I had to feel obligated to read a book, it does not represent my best interests.

Back on Plinky after a while, and the question I see asks me what type of music is the best while driving. Frankly, I am a bike rider and if I said I like any kind of music while driving, that would make others who ride with me go into panic mode. :) However, I am human too. Imagining I was riding in a car, or sometimes on the beach road on days that make me feel as if road was laid only for me, I prefer gayatri mantra (don't be surprised! It just makes me feel good), soft pop, especially that of westlife, backstreet boys, and occasionally, a collection of my favorite telugu film songs. Most of the times, I observed, singing while riding is a much better alternative.