Chocolate and Strawberries

Okay let’s face it. There’s a huge cookie-cutter. Many cookie-cutters actually. The cookie-cutters of life. I’ll stop saying cookie-cutter now. Basically, everyone fits into a certain mold. Take many people I know for instance. They come from traditional families, blessed with money and a good education – pretty conventional in the sense of liking popular music, going to well-known places, having common likes and dislikes, dressing similarly and mainly harbouring the same dreams for the future.

We then have a whole other set of people. Creative people. Unconventional in every sense. Rebellious, constantly coming up with ways to have fun, pleasure-seeking, adventurous people. Those that are as conventional and true to their tribe as the first set. Old Monk drinking, Boho-dressing, film festival, backpacking kind of people.

But what about somebody who has grown up with and has some characteristics of the first set of people – but who finds a lot in common with the second set too? Someone who may not be as quick-witted, rebellious and passionate as them, but who shares many of their views and pleasure-seeking habits.

Is there a mold that combines these two? Something that cuts the cookie in a not-so-even shape? When you don’t fit into either tribe, it’s disconcerting. The middle path is a lonely one and the fence gets uncomfortable.

But I can’t force myself to choose between two sections of my life that have equal prominence in it. I can’t have all the characteristics of either one tribe. Not even if I tried. Because that just wouldn’t be me.

So where’s my tribe? Or is this that ‘unique’ factor that every person is told he or she is? Does a combination make you more unique? Maybe the chocolate dough and strawberry dough got mixed up – and then made me.

Oh well, at least chocolate and strawberries are a tasty combination.

Losing yourself

Every so often you find that through the years - your perception of who you are keeps changing. What never tends to change however, are the dreams and plans you had for yourself years ago...as a teenager even.

Or more often than not, you find yourself just altering those plans and dreams in your head based on where you are in life at the present moment.

People will come and go. Work environments will change. There will be phases where one or two people will take priority in your life. There will be times where you will experience mental growth spurts.

But somewhere somehow, the core of your being will always want what you always wanted. The dream. The book written. The beautiful house with a sea-view. Someone completely deserving of you to love.

And the way you see yourself - your thoughts, your upbringing, your likes and dislikes and basic values - will also never change. What changes is your willingness to compromise your vision...based on reality.

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But if you stay true to what you were - what you essentially are - and what you want for yourself, you will ultimately achieve it. Even if people all around you are compromising on their visions and dreams and bartering them for new ones. The new ones may even be better than anything they imagined. But then again...they may not.

And you will stray from the Essential Path of You...many many times. You will try to convince yourself that the path you've strayed onto is better, greener, smoother and wider. The fact remains that no matter how the path may be, the destination will still be different from your dream.

And the best people to lead you back onto your original path are your sisters, your brothers, your best friends and childhood buddies. Because they know you. The old you. The original you. The you who you want to be.

Take their hands and make your way back to your path. Because in the end, every step will be worth it.