Did anyone wonder, there are certain weird / absurd / interesting (whatever you call it) in America which no one can atleast think of.
Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in America......do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke. (Funniest of all :D)
Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
Only in America......do they use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so that they won't miss a call from someone they didn't want to talk to in the first place.
Only in America......do they buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
Only in America......do they play the whole game using hands and call it Football.
Running towards 25, I was thinking I spent one whole quarter of my life unnoticed. I have struggled for a few years and had fun during the rest of my lifetime and was trying to jot down all the memorable phases that I have been through and here are a few:
1. Final Match between CSE and CSIT: 20th January 2006.
The 1st biggest moment that I remember and I cherish forever is the Final Football match between CSE and CSIT when I was in doing my Under graduation. Man, what an awesome feeling it was!
Any Man's Finest Hour is That moment, When he had worked His heart out in a Good Cause and lies Exhausted in The field of Battle;Victorious!
I still remember the day when CSE lost to ECE in the final match when I was in the 1st year of my college and I promised my seniors that I would bring back the pride to the department someday.
Things changed every year and I never got a chance to fulfill my dream. But when I was made the captain of my team, I believed that if not this time, then NEVER and that is what pumped up the adrenaline in my team. I had faith in my boys and they vested their belief in me and the penalties decided it all. I was in shock after we won. That is one moment that I would never forget all throughout my life.
2. Love of my LIFE: 18th September 2007
After a few major setbacks, I never ever wanted to enter into a relationship. I happened to meet this girl in my college (Man, that is why I love BVRIT ... my whole life revolves around it), I never used to leave a chance to tease her. I never thought or atleast had a trace that I would fall in love ( or become a friend for that matter) with the person whom I never liked once.
And thanks to ODU too for this, for it could not have happened if I have not been involved in the activities so much that I stopped talking to her and realize about it later when my fingers almost burnt :P
Now I feel that I am complete with her. I still can remember that day when I took 4 hours to just tell her that I have feelings for her! It took 2 full months for me to realize that the person whom I used to talk to for the past 5 years was something much bigger than mere friendship, thats a different story altogether :D.
3. Journeys in 2L: September 2002 - May 2006
Every day right from the start date of my college till it ended, was a different day. If not in the college, in the bus. I have never seen a jubilant set than these guys. A perfect mix of masti and maturity. Expelling a lecturer out of a college is not an easy task and we did kicked that BATMAN out of the college which was a message sent accross that ... Do not mess with 2Lians...
Not a single day did I sleep in the bus nor never let anyone else sleep peacefully :P. From Movies to politics, WWE to daily serials.. everything under the sky was discussed or rather debated. Ragging, Teasing, Celebrations were very much prevalent everyday. The fact was accepted by our juniors too.
And I love my college the most for the fact that It has blessed me with the best of friends and the love of my life.
4. Norfolk Times: August 2006 - July 2008
I was always under the impression that I would miss the 2Lians very badly but the Monarchs never let me down when it comes to living my life. If ever in my life, I get a chance to study again, it would be people like you whom I'd chose. You guys rock!
Out of Virginia, now I'm nowhere amidst people who don't know the essence of living life. I definitely miss all you guys. You made my life even more colorful.
Concluding this post does not mean that I have no other special moments; these are some of the moments which I would never forget. I am still happy and fun-loving.
Ever since I was born, you never let me feel low, you always tried to see me happy, you did your best to help me achieve all my dreams, you have guided me through the right path by making me abide by the righteous values that you always taught me. You are awesome mom!!
Now, I wonder, how could you manage waking up earlier than us, make food for all of us, work for extra hours and sleep only after we all went to bed. And, never did you forget to give us all the care that we needed, despite of the tiring days. I wish I could be of some help to you when you really needed me.
Here are the days, the testing times, that anyone would never like to go through. And there I am, far across the seas, in a place where all I can do is just call you up and ask if everything was alright. Even if something unusual happened there is nothing I could do except for a few soothing words. I feel sorry for myself that I am not there by your side to take care of you at this point of time. I am eagerly waiting to return home and take all the burdens and tensions off your shoulders. Just give me some time to plan something so that there would be no jinx in the future.
For the Desis out here, my suggestion to you is to get back to your family as early as possible. There's money everywhere but friends and family are NOT.
Watch the video and if you need the lyrics ... It has been attached below. I found it online and felt very refreshing after I finished reading through the whole thing.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, "sunscreen" would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,
whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice NOW!
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future.
Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind,
The kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive.
Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters.
Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees.
You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40.
Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much,
or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance.
So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body.
Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance
Even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines.
They will only make you feel ugly.
"Brother and sister together we'll make it through,
Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there
I know that you're hurting but I've been waiting there for you
and I'll be there just helping you out
whenever I can..."
Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,
but with a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get,
the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in "New York City" once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in "Northern California" once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel
Accept certain inalienable truths:
Prices will rise.
Politicians will philander.
You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young,
prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund.
Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse.
But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy,
but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia.
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal,
wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
"Brother and sister together we'll make it through,
Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there
I know that you're hurting but I've been waiting there for you
