Another year has just begun with the switch of a minute. I am still where I was last year. But now my entire body and the surrounding objective reality has entered year 2024. There is a proposition by scientists to declare with this year – the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch. The Holocene will gradually transition away. The proposition stems from the grim acknowledgment that we human beings are now controlling the planet. The ongoing changes in winds, currents, and ecosystems are driven by our actions. We have disrupted the universe’s mysterious algorithm. Yet, I feel that the microcosms around me are beyond my control. I am moving ahead into the time-space continuum with only actions, leaving behind intentions and desires. How is time so contradictory yet reconcilable?
Combustible
Earlier today, my friends asked to define the year 2023 in a single word. The first word that came to my mind was “combustible”. Perhaps this is because I am on the verge of a burn out. I am not able to stretch myself anymore. I can feel the pain knotting up and numbing my shoulder blades. My legs are zinging with stress. When the pressure limits have been tested – tiredness turns into a burst of energy, for a bit. It is the beep before the explosion – a robust sound that’s a warning indicator. The word combustible refers to the property of a substance or material to go up in flames. This year, I got a lot done. I accumulated a lot of material. But looking back, most of what I collected seems combustible.
Beginning
To have a beginning is an opportunity. Most of us are quick to acknowledge the fact that endings follow beginnings. But, few of us reckon with the importance of the middle parts. And here is where the opportunity lies. The opportunity to try and succeed, fail and learn, work and rest, or grow and stabilize. Like many of you, I have a glitch in my personality. As an ideas-person, I love beginnings. The rush from starting over is energizing. The doing is arduous. In my 30s, I don’t want too many new beginnings. I want to do more of the middle parts with consistency. I must nurture the roots and shoots of my efforts in the formative years. I am declaring my allegiance to the middle parts, towards a steadfast pace and routine.
writing a paragraph 