LOL: Life Of Leo

Image Source Triggers are really funny. As much as you try to suppress or look past them, they pop up like scalding hot toast, leaving a burn or two in its wake. If there is a word associated with me, since childhood, or since I can remember, it is 'Brat'. Everyone I knew called me a brat. Family, relatives, friends, teachers and strangers. Of course each one used their own version of the word. I asked too many questions and was rebellious, they said. It will not bode well for me, they said. I'll end up alone and broke, they said. I'll never be successful with this attitude, they said. While they continue to say this, I'm unapologetically living my best life with a successful career and the love of my life by my side. I thought this no longer triggered me. When Collin's dictionary announced their word of the year as 'Brat', all my layers of defense came crashing down. I was faced with all those questions again, but this time I had an answer.

Image Source There’s something undeniably beautiful about the open skies; how they seem to stretch forever, inviting us to explore far-off lands. But for those of us living with aerophobia, that beauty comes wrapped in layers of fear. I love traveling, the idea of it, the thrill of new cultures, but the fear of flying can turn that excitement into dread. Every time I buckle into my seat, I feel a sense of vulnerability, a complete surrender of control. I’ve often wondered, how can something so exhilarating also feel so terrifying?

Image Source  The dawn awakens with a soft embrace A chance to breathe, to see the sky Though shadows linger from the night before The light is ours, we just must try

Image Source My longest relationship ever, has been with coffee. I honestly do not remember the first time I started having coffee. I remember making cups of coffee every two hours during my late night studies as a student, so I definitely was hooked to caffeine at an early age. No complains though. Coffee has been a constant for me in every phase of my life. While I prefer a deep, dark brew now, earlier I used to consume instant coffee with hot milk and no sugar. The BRU coffee containers that are used to store groceries at my parents' house is testament to the amount of coffee I consumed while staying there.

Photo Credit I'm just back from a two week holiday to Europe and am currently basking in monotony. It is almost funny, how a month ago I couldn't wait to get away from this routine. My partner and I usually get travel fatigue towards the end of every long vacation and we cannot wait to get back to the comfort of our daily tasks. That's the contradictory thing about a set routine. As claustrophobic as it feels at times, it also is immensely comforting. I'm sure I'm not the first one to seek comfort in familiarity and I definitely shall not be the last.

Image Source In the quiet hum of a late morning breeze Where sunlight dances on dewy grass Life unfolds at its own pace A simple joy that none surpass

I started reading when I was about eight years old. Officially, that marks three decades of me as a reader. Reading is something that has stayed with me since I began to make sense of things and a large part of the person that I am today, I owe it to reading. Of late, work has taken over my life and I'm not left with much time for reading. Still, I manage to sneak in a page here and there. Of course I miss those days and nights when I could just sit/lie and read for hours, but as long as I'm reading even if it just a page or two, I'm fine. For me, books and reading possess an incredible healing power that transcends the mere act of consuming words on a page. They offer an escape from reality, providing a refuge where I can temporarily set aside my worries and immerse myself in different worlds, experiences, and perspectives. This act of escapism can be particularly therapeutic during times of stress, anxiety, or grief, allowing me to gain a sense of solace and peace. Anxiet

Image Source Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón - I first heard of her in my late teens, although I do not recall in what context, and I have been obsessed ever since. For the uninitiated, Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who was also a surrealist. She is known for her bright, bold paintings, mainly self-portraits. She battled polio at the tender age of six and suffered an accident when she was eighteen which left her with multiple injuries, including a broken spine and pelvis. She lived in pain and illness for the rest of her life while being bedridden towards her final years. She had an easel specially crafted for her that would enable her to paint from bed. She died when she was forty-seven on what is stated to be an overdose of painkillers but could amount to suicide on the account of being lovesick. For an outsider, she lived a tragic life and would soon be forgotten. If you look a little deeper into her life, you'll she the inspiration she was is.

Image Source Last weekend as Carlos Alcaraz lifted the Wimbledon trophy for the second consecutive year, a piece of news was doing the rounds. It stated the below: Alcazar did to Djokovic what Djokovic did to Nadal and what Nadal did to Federer and what Federer did to Sampras.  Djokovic really struggled to be a competitor in the clearly one-sided game and honestly there are no surprises there. Time waits for no one and one should have the sense to move on. Virat Kohli did, so did Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Acceptance is the key here, which Joe Biden finally realized a couple of days ago. After all, like breathing, aging is what we all have in common.