Maslow's Self Actualization Mode-
I never had a problem in being an introvert, I just regretted I didn't make friends easily. By friends, I meant people you go on trips with, a big group with many characters. With this, I regretted not having traveled to the places kids of such groups would frequent. I regretted not being one of those in weird poses in the photographs that got more likes than the number of people in my friend list. I always read all the comments on posts of such groups and regretted not being able to laugh with them. I never regretted being an introvert.
Soon I realized, I'm not an introvert. I just didn't make friends easily.
I was always proud of being "everyone's friend". Everyone called me their friend. It was easy to sit and eat and laugh with anyone on any table. It was always natural for me to be a part of every group. It was okay if I didn't know all the secrets, I knew just enough to enjoy the company. That's all friends are for, right? I did have my roommates as my best friends. Some said it was a convenient adjustment, but I always thought it was good luck my roommates turned out so well. Without them, no group, no conversation seemed fun. People would either laugh too hard, or crack jokes in gibberish or simply do better without me around.
So I guess I didn't make friends easily.
I used to write since ages. Everyone said I write stuff no one gets. I loved using words that would sound cool. It was good I developed a liking for alliterations, because in the first ever interview in NITIE, this is what the interviewer asked me about. Not about Supply Chain, not a thing about MBA, but he wanted me to come up with an alliteration on NITIE. Man o man! He did like what he heard and although I didn't get the job, I was happy I had developed a liking for alliterations.
I remember I wrote my first poem "Be cool and go to school" in class four. I am proud that I wrote an entire script of a play and enacted it in front of the teacher and other 12-year-olds, doing all the different voices of the characters by myself. Very proud that I was a star from class one to six, the first choice of lead actor in all school plays, all the debates, creative writing competitions and was every teacher's pet.
My mother encouraged me to read. Although I didn't read a tenth of what she used to when she was my age, and the ratio still remains the same, I always will be grateful my mother encouraged me to read. She also let me watch TV.
When other kids used to play in the streets, I used to watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. on TV. I was all 11. Did I get it at that time? I don't remember. But I loved it nonetheless. And I have loved watching it over and over again. And then, I also watched all these other series, but when I share articles about F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and people like them, comment on them, share them and wish me in person, I'm glad my mother let me watch TV when I really should have been on the streets, running around and making friends. I'm glad my mother gave me the habit to read.
Now I have stopped counting friends. I have started counting the number of articles I write, the number of books I read, the number of movies I watch and the number of all the other things that I can learn about, because in this process I have made so many friends who write with me, read and quote, watch and share, teach me stuff, bring me smiles and laughter.
I never had a problem in being an introvert, I just regretted I didn't make friends easily. By friends, I meant people you go on trips with, a big group with many characters. With this, I regretted not having traveled to the places kids of such groups would frequent. I regretted not being one of those in weird poses in the photographs that got more likes than the number of people in my friend list. I always read all the comments on posts of such groups and regretted not being able to laugh with them. I never regretted being an introvert.
Soon I realized, I'm not an introvert. I just didn't make friends easily.
I was always proud of being "everyone's friend". Everyone called me their friend. It was easy to sit and eat and laugh with anyone on any table. It was always natural for me to be a part of every group. It was okay if I didn't know all the secrets, I knew just enough to enjoy the company. That's all friends are for, right? I did have my roommates as my best friends. Some said it was a convenient adjustment, but I always thought it was good luck my roommates turned out so well. Without them, no group, no conversation seemed fun. People would either laugh too hard, or crack jokes in gibberish or simply do better without me around.
So I guess I didn't make friends easily.
I used to write since ages. Everyone said I write stuff no one gets. I loved using words that would sound cool. It was good I developed a liking for alliterations, because in the first ever interview in NITIE, this is what the interviewer asked me about. Not about Supply Chain, not a thing about MBA, but he wanted me to come up with an alliteration on NITIE. Man o man! He did like what he heard and although I didn't get the job, I was happy I had developed a liking for alliterations.
I remember I wrote my first poem "Be cool and go to school" in class four. I am proud that I wrote an entire script of a play and enacted it in front of the teacher and other 12-year-olds, doing all the different voices of the characters by myself. Very proud that I was a star from class one to six, the first choice of lead actor in all school plays, all the debates, creative writing competitions and was every teacher's pet.
My mother encouraged me to read. Although I didn't read a tenth of what she used to when she was my age, and the ratio still remains the same, I always will be grateful my mother encouraged me to read. She also let me watch TV.
When other kids used to play in the streets, I used to watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. on TV. I was all 11. Did I get it at that time? I don't remember. But I loved it nonetheless. And I have loved watching it over and over again. And then, I also watched all these other series, but when I share articles about F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and people like them, comment on them, share them and wish me in person, I'm glad my mother let me watch TV when I really should have been on the streets, running around and making friends. I'm glad my mother gave me the habit to read.
Now I have stopped counting friends. I have started counting the number of articles I write, the number of books I read, the number of movies I watch and the number of all the other things that I can learn about, because in this process I have made so many friends who write with me, read and quote, watch and share, teach me stuff, bring me smiles and laughter.
