First of May

*1.30 pm* It’s Labor Day, so most of the working population of the country is on leave (unlike me who’s been on leave for a month now). But I start my new job tomorrow, so yay!

Last week has been pretty weird for me. I spent most of my time counselling two of my cousin sisters about dating and relationships (am I even eligible?) One has fallen (and how!) for a sort-of a brother, someone she shouldn’t (obviously!) and the other is on a crazy dating spree after her on & off serious relationship (she says she wants to get drunk and hook up! Whaat!?) I have never felt so furious (is this how elder sisters feel?) at these two. I don’t understand why both of them are so eager to get their lives ruined? I know its the “stupid teenage hormones” (I wonder what I’d do if I have a teenage kid one day) but isn’t it getting really bad? Also, who am I to judge them? I’ve done my share of stupid things in my time. So I tried to sound all cool while talking to them and made sure that they know they can come to me for anything. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m really mad at them. Teenagers are dumb and they don’t really want to listen to your advice (now I know what mom must’ve gone through during all those years!) I just hope I haven’t scared them off by sharing their secrets here publicly because I’d still want them to come to me for advice. (Secretly hoping they don’t read this)

I also watched quite a lot of movies this week- some old classics and some recent ones out of which, The Tashkent Files was a highlight. I feel guilty and ashamed about how unaware and uninterested I have been in Indian politics and its history.  This movie struck the right chord. 

For someone who did not cast her vote in the recent LokSabha Elections because she just didn’t have an opinion (which I know should not be an excuse), I realized what a grave mistake I had done.

This movie got me curious about a number of things so I looked up and read a lot of articles and records about political issues, had a lengthy discussion with a friend and all of it made me realize the importance of every individual’s opinion. We really are responsible in shaping our country. Being ignorant towards politics only make us unfair to our selves and our country’s growth.

I decided to be a responsible citizen and take interest in whatever goes around in our nation. Most importantly, have an opinion. I decided that from now on I will actively exercise every right I have as an Indian.

While speaking about this to Apoorva, she said something apt and I quote “being woke on individual level in enough, if everyone does it’.

That sums it up!

I couldn’t be more ashamed of not having had this clarity before- ashamed of not having cast my vote, at least for NOTA (like I had done last time). This is my awakening. I am catching up and I’m going to keep up. Better late than never, right?