The power of people

I have been a lone man for a major time of my life. A single, self sustained soul, dealing life in isolation, planning entirely everything just around me. And that actually worked well for me for quite some time. People didn't matter much, there were quite a few that i cared about and i was happy around them.

I remember playing alone in my house, with screw drivers, locks, pliers and anything that could find a match closest to my imaginary story lines. Being alone gave me total control of my imagination and i loved it that way. My head was an impenetrable wall. The thoughts came in and never left.

I went through my teenage. There were a few milestones, a couple of decent memories, but nothing much to cherish. 

Then I joined college. And that's where, things began to transform. 

I was surrounded by people. There was no family, no loved ones, not even a remote connection. I had to build a family here.

Initially, I tried keeping myself reserved. I was never rude to people. I would interact once in a while, would go out, but mostly kept to myself.

And then gradually, i began to have more and more of interactions. There were people from all walks of life, with so many fascinating life stories, stories of struggles, stories of achievements. I began sharing my life experiences with people. The more i shared, the liberated i felt.

I liked almost everyone. They were all so different. Every individual had a different take on life. I developed bonds with people. Some remained, while some withered with time. But one thing that i learnt was, that people keep coming and going. You don't really have to search or dig deep. Somewhere around life, it just clicks.

By the time the college approached end, i found myself more in people than in me. Home had suddenly been replaced by this amazing incredible place. Not because the place had anything to do. It was just the people and the time spent with them. 

And then it ended. People just walked away in different directions. I wanted to stop them, hold them with me for as long as i could, carry them along for the rest of my life. But life doesn't work that way. The things you love the most are often there for a very brief part of your lives. 

It was easy to convince the mind that it wouldn't matter in some time. But the heart wasn't just ready to leave.

Life transformed after college. Soon I was sucked into the 10 to 6 lifestyle. I found new people, fewer than they used to be. But it was good to have someone to discuss about the extremities of the day.

I started a new take on life. The college seemed to have moved back in time. And i had somehow convinced my heart that this is what it is from now.

And once again, the bonds began to develop. Memories were being crafted. We were struggling, but we were all struggling together. And that made it all an experience in itself. Having people around made me almost indestructible. 

And then came the transition. You see, people have dreams. They have a destiny. And they can't walk with you for long. Somewhere down the road, they take a different path.

I found new people. The company is replaceable. But people aren't. New people brought a fresh take on life. And i began moulding myself into this fresher way of life. After some while, i had reconfigured myself around new people. We had things in common, the likes, the dislikes, the circle of more people. And it was beginning to be fun. Every day brought in a new experience. It somehow felt that there was much more to life than just the 10 to 6 job. There was a constant flow of new ideas and memories. There were celebrations, there were outings. So much, that i almost forgot the life that was behind me.

And then it happened again. Our destinies weren't intertwined. They had dreams, And they needed to go. That was as far as we could go together.

It is a heartbreak, every time people leave. And unlike the other kinds of heartbreaks, this one takes some time to fade. You see, there isn't much you can do. Its not in your control. 

Life is truly like a river. We all need to keep swimming towards an unknown destiny. But reaching the end is never the goal. Its the people that swim along with us that make living worthwhile. 

Having people around you is a powerful feeling. It makes you feel being cared, being worthwhile. It gives meaning to life.