Newfound Roads and Shades

As someone who has started driving in my Indian city, I see things that have no business being on the road. I am way past romanticising organised chaos; I cannot abide. This newfound skill has unlocked a new pathway in my brain which has given way to a whole host of emotions. At this point, I am willing to wager that, perhaps, there was a before-life, and there will be an after-life, and in those lives, I might have had experiences that come to me in my dreams these days. It is strange to learn something new way past childhood and have it totally wreck the insides of your mind. The last time I felt this way was when I switched careers and went into product management (0/10 recommended) where the entirety of the tech world (save a measly three people) was out for my blood. More on that, later.

While navigating these new (potholed) roads, I have been trying to keep my body upright and nourished for the most part. A lot can happen with your own body; good, bad, and everything in between. Some days I marvel at how it can push through life, and at others I am bogged down by a dense fog of fatigue. It swings both ways is all I’m saying. I’ve been feeling up and down, exhilarated and exhausted as it were. It turns out big emotions mean slow movements, more sleep, and a longing for periods of time under trees while doing nothing.

And this is how I segue into lobbying for slower lives, email communication, and long form art. I’m not much of an influencer, and though I could do a hack job of building “content” around “slow living”, the word “content” makes me shudder, so I don’t venture into that territory. There goes that career option. These days I listen to Billy Joel and the background sounds of a stream inbuilt on my iPhone. And I keep multiple tabs of long essays open while taking small bites out of them from time to time. I also drive through my city, and have stir-crazy dreams. Everything these days is unlike anything else.