The forgotten Hero?

                Aren’t the timelines a wonderful way of portraying a certain period of time? It broadens the scope of adding the tone or the details that you want to represent just about anything you wish to convey? That eventful day, as it was drizzling, not too heavy to call it a rain, melancholy crept all over the Palo Alto/Menlo Park, CA any normal person would be drawn to the pensive mood, I would too if it wasn’t for the Facebook HQ. My friend was courteous enough to give us the tour of FB HQ, which I thought was a cheerful little world that they live in, as if they are alienated from the Earth, at least that’s what I thought it was. Among the many things that grabbed my attention, the noteworthy was that of the ‘Rise of the Instagram’.

                It was brilliantly weaved with humor and drama. Consider that you have done a good job, when the piece that you’ve written makes people think about it, about your insights, about your perception of life, that they would go back and watch it again to see that they’ve got it right. Childhood, which I’m sure, is special for many of us, to me. But, to run in this mechanical life’s race, we have stabbed it, left no trace behind and dusted off our hands so that you have no clue about it. And, then continue running in the mechanical life. We are happy with the 9-5 jobs, slog to earn that money, spend it and worry about the petty issues. And yes, isn’t it quite obvious amidst all of this, who cares about what their hobbies were once upon a time and who would want to take time out of the ‘busy’ schedule to actually pursue something they’ve been longing for.

                Imtiaz Ali, actually, makes a point that it is your childhood that actually makes you a ‘unique’ person. The special you is defined by your childhood, which is his ideology. And maybe I can agree with it to an extent. The above mentioned is an excerpt from the movie Tamasha, which the audience never quite had the patience to connect with, and I’m sorry I’m an exception, cause I thought it made sense or may be I am a fan of Imtiaz's work.

                I’ve gone rusty. 41 blog posts spread over a span of 5 years with the number of posts over the last 2 years drastically dropped (as to how your bank balance drops towards the end of the month)to an average of 2 per year, it’s like I’ve almost forgotten that I’m supposed to spend some quality time writing. Ran out of steam, some would say, heck I’d say that to myself as well. It’s not as if I’d like to get an A and be happy about it. No, it’s supposed to be a hobby. Some drive cars around, some read books, some workout, some go on a hike, some sit around and eat (which is probably the easiest thing to do and nobody hates it, I wouldn’t hate it) and I find it interesting to write, at least I thought I did. So, I shouldn’t be too cautious, do I?

                Going back to the Facebook HQ, Instagram which was acquired by Facebook, it took 2 people to come up with the idea. As I was going through the chronological timeline which was photographically represented in one corner of one of the blocks, it took me by surprise. The history of Instagram which I’m sure if you google it, you can see it too, had about 2 million users after the first two months of its launch, One of the many astonishing facts and the day it was launched on iphones, it was the most downloaded app on the app store. I mean uploading photos and videos generating such a huge number of users, who would’ve expected it right?

                Apart from writing which has hit a wall off late, running has become a part of my life for nearly 4 years now. I still remember the first few months back in 2012; I used to run on a treadmill just to shed them, few extra pounds. It was more of a burden than an enjoyment. I badly wanted to be done with it and move on to something else. But, as I slowly started running outdoors, it was altogether a different experience. I was intimidated at the beginning as to how far will I be able to run. But, as I kept on doing it, it really dint matter. Dint, my colleague just corrected me few days ago and advised to stop using ‘dint’, which I was under the impression is an actual word. Though it means ‘did not’ it still is a slang(gonna, gotcha, and so on). Eventually, it has become a part of my life(Running, not the usage of the word dint, :P). Would you call it an addiction? No, it’s not. Would you call meditation an addiction? It takes you to a different state of mind, doesn’t it? There have been so many motives behind my runs, an hard day at work for whatever reason it is, a lazy day cause you cannot come out of bed and munching on those heavy calorie food, a disturbed mind maybe or want to run just cause the weather is amazing, regardless of the reason, what matters is how you feel after you’re done with it. Even if it means you’re a bit exhausted, you can still focus much better and start afresh, just how you would do it after taking a nap.

                As Saif Ali Khan chased the streets to get into the cable cars, how his dream was to work for Golden Gate Inc., all of it has been playing in my mind as I was visiting all the different places of San Francisco. I had the imagery of SF from the movie Love Aaj Kal, crazy isn’t it. It’s something about the City that draws the attention of the people, it did mine though. I mean I have been there only once, yet it is one of my favorite places to visit or stay for that matter but only second to NJ/NY, nothing can beat this though.

                Summer of 2015 was when things turned around for me, running a 5k was a challenge. After I signed up for a 5k run, I was bit hesitant cause it was the first official run and I hadn’t run a 5k at a stretch without a break, thanks to my colleagues who signed up for the race and ditched the very last minute, leaving me even more paranoid. Yet, I’m not a quitter, am i? Not, when it comes to running. I showed up anyway, thinking what is the worst that would happen, right?  And surprisingly, it wasn’t what I feared it would be. The adrenaline that you get when you are in a race is something worth experiencing. That was my first official race which I finished in 29 odd minutes. Oh, I was so happy with my pace then. As you get closer to the finish line, with the volunteers and crowd cheering, you get the feeling you’ve accomplished something. And that is something you do not want to give it away. Instead, you sign up for another race which is a better challenge and a different location.

                And so, I started my journey of first half marathon 13.1 miles which was a big leap from 5k(which is just 3.11 miles). The number that I was staring at was humongous. Doubts creeping upon me, if it’s even achievable, I set out with a training plan, thanks to google and other running websites. Despite a few minor setbacks in the form of a lower hip injury and a right foot injury, I was able to get through it. When the day finally arrived, September 20th 2015, I was all up for it. After an amazing 2 hours and 24 mins, I was able to see finish line. Can I describe the feeling? No, it’s something one must experience. I just wanted to shout at the top of my voice that I have done it. About 10 plus weeks of training, dedication, effort and you know it’s been paid off, gave me a feeling that I would never forget. And that feeling drives you to achieve more and more. Keep doing it again and again. As long as it’s entertaining and keeping you refreshed, why not incorporate it into your life style, no? Which is why, I’ve signed up for a United NYC Half Marathon and I was hoping to better the first half even by a minute, but in reality I bettered by 7-8 minutes. Thanks to the winter which wasn’t too harsh to me this year, to us in fact.

                It was during my recent trip to San Francisco, I was able to experience some of Route-1’s natural scenic beauty for a few hours, which is one of the best drives one could ask for. I should try to cover the drive from A to Z of it, which is kind off on my to-do list. Big Sur which is one of the many destinations on Route-1 is no wonder a stop for all those people who want to let their Camera shutters click without a break. It’s blue all around and hilly. Yes, we can let the camera do the most of the working, but I’d appreciate to take a moment and relish the view, no?

                Regardless, the vacation to San Francisco during Christmas was a short lived one, about 4 odd days. I liked it so much, that I’m going back to run a Marathon in July. Sounds crazy, I know. J

This is the quote i like the most by one of the athletes, "If you want to run, run a mile, if you want to experience another life, run a marathon." Hence, I'm going to do it, one day, not too far!

As I always say, Stay Healthy, Keep Smiling, Be Happy, may be go for a run!

Vasu.