I = sum (..

There are moments in your life when you feel that, every small thing, every simple detail of the past happened for a greater purpose.

Today, I had this surreal feeling that, what I am today is a summation of all those tiny little chances, old wise men who never knew me, random acts which can never be pinned down.

1. I picked a book by the age of 2. I picked my first picture-story book and I never knew that books would change my life.
2. All my summer holidays, I had to exercise my writing skills, attention to detail, and imagination by reading an English story and a Telugu story and re-writing them in my own words.
3. My history text book was one of my favorite book because it had lessons about Harappan culture, Egyptian, Chinese and Mesopotamian civilizations.
4. I loved maths puzzles
5. I was into gymnastics for 3 years, into karate for 1 year, into music for 2 years, into craft for 5 years.
6. I went to college, worked on every club I could get into, spent half my time outside the classroom, in the group discussion room.
7. I picked my friends because they could think, and act on their own and understood the power of logic.

Results

1. Thank god for Alexander the Great, Thank god for Abraham Lincoln, for Steve Jobs, David Ogilvy, for 12 angry men, Oskar Schindler, Steven Spielberg, Gail Wynand, Ayn Rand, Atticus Finch. I'll never stop being amazed by books, stories, the power of creativity and imagination. I can proudly claim to be a excellent story teller for children, a decent writer and a constant learner.
2. I rarely forget something I read, I never miss out details. I know how to customize a piece of writing and pick out what I want. More importantly, I know how to connect the dots and get the big picture.
3. It humbles me to think about the generations which came before me, the power of their creativity, imagination and ideas. I am shamelessly addicted to museums, art history, architecture, science, discoveries, inventions and above all, the capacity of a human mind.
4. I owe my logic, clarity of thought and problem solving skills to this.
5. I'm a jack of all trades. Today I understand Chinese and Indian martial arts and the concepts behind them, the different forms of music ranging from Indian folk, Carnatic, Hindustani, Rock, Scottish, Jazz, Blues, Country, Reggae, Alternative-Rock and everything else.
6. I look back and realize that I have never used one theorem I learnt in the class. My outside class activities showed me the real world. I tinkered my logic. I learnt new skills. I met people and was humbled. I set the bar high and achieved things. I understood the power of team work. I learnt the power of argument.
7. This has been the most unconscious action which has sealed my chance at 'living life on my own terms.' Thank god for friends who give space, who understand my obsession to learn, who see my visions and help me, who catch me when I fall and most of all who share a high degree of mutual respect for each other.

Yeah!.. I sound like a pompous ass. But I couldn't help acknowledge all the random activities and conscious activities which define my 'I'