SIP and life?.... airing an old unpublished post..circa 2016

Misleading headlines seem to be my forte. As of now life is well, no comments - the POV changes on a day to day basis... I wake up to the sight of the "honge marra" standing tall just outside the house. That was planted by Tatha when he built the house more than 20 years ago. The branches of the tree laden with its flowers peak over the terrace parapet and when the flowers are in bloom, the floor is covered in a beautiful mosaic of fallen flowers. Squirrels and crows, robins, bulbuls... have an adda-time on the branches, giving lot of bird watching scope for us from inside. That's just one of the things that will remain most with me. When it comes to that, planting trees or maintaining a small garden can be the best SIP for the future one can do. Spending times with kids and family connecting without smart devices pinging for your attention is another way too.

The cold wind which blows in from the windows reminds me of the cold place we would be moving to soon. It is a different kind of cold, which brings in associated feelings of being alone and lonely, a foreignness of being. The faux brightness of colours one chooses to dress in, an alien language where nuances can be lost or misunderstood, the rigorous discipline and demands that another culture, way of life places demands of one, the desperation to belong and the simultaneous questioning realisation on why would that be so important, forever trying to rationalise and understand cultural differences ....it's a lot of work though it is not always apparent or talked about. Sometimes we discuss this when we meet amongst friends and acquaintances, our experiences, goof-ups, most often it is a case of fake it till you make it show....but the ensuing warmth in the discussions, animation in the faces remain...

My friend D wishes I would have a different time there this time around - more friends, activities, less frenemies, and I am open to that...meeting new people but I always feel that my personality is what makes it this way. Nothing that I am apologetic about really, we are like this only I maintain, more on the introvert spectrum and a person who needs to retreat under a rock time and again. There is a certain promise of being resilient and independent in this and that is something I would uphold over everything else. Then again, a few people on your call list can seem to make life worthwhile even if it is mundane stuff you talk about your day,  what you cooked, what you are reading, etc etc. Overall flex, no heartaches either way.

The only thing that makes it right is the reassurance of the family  being together, with kids having both mom and dad, not waiting for dad during holidays.....the fact that both sides of the family back home here are doing good, exchanges with some friends, being busy with some project... These simple things that anchor you. And this is what I work on my SIP approach. Making an effort to keep in touch, even if the other hides under "busy", "work pressure"... It can be baffling when there is no reciprocation and then I take the hint and bid a polite adieu. The SIP approach is the best way to most good things in life - and best part is since it is  in doses, it does not seem overwhelming...