Exploring to Learn

It's quite amazing, when you ponder on it, to think how priorities keep changing as you grow older. When I was a student, topping the list of priorities was 'Studies'. Soon 'Career' and 'Work' climbed its way to the top. A short while later, when holy matrimony swept me off my feet, 'Family' settled on its perch at Priority No.1.That soon gave way to 'Son'and that has continued to top the list till now. I wonder whether it is similar for most other women who marry and raise families. Do family and children become the all-important factors in your life at a certain age? Everytime I've found myself facing a tough decision, my priorities bailed me out.Whether it was leaving a permanent job more than four times in my nine-yearlong teaching career or not taking up positions that weren't in line with what was most important for me,life for me has always followed the path lain down by my priorities. Now when I'm standing at the edge once...

When we set out on a journey, we meet several people on our way, interact with them for as long as the meeting lasts and then carry on ,on our respective paths. These days, one is too pre-occupied with one's own concerns to smile at a fellow passenger and strike up a conversation.One needs to be wary, in these times of terrorism and criminal behaviour breeding everywhere, of even sharing a cup of tea with a stranger sitting next to you on a train.No one's sure of another's intentions any more. What surprise then, that even at work, people do not step out of a self-created border? Coming to myself. I have grown up in the little North-eastern town of Shillong,where everyone is friendly with everyone else,where people smile and nod at virtual strangers they meet on their way,where doors can be left unlocked for the entire day with nothing amiss, where helpfulness is a way of life, where you can talk for hours with an absolute stranger without inhibition..... get the idea? Imag...