Reflections: Day 1 – Stroke of Midnight

The year had ended. A new beginning, as usual, as the last time. I never had any intentional resolutions that I wanted to complete in the upcoming year. But this year, let me make an exception.

In the last 10 years, I never had an actual job, so the flow of money was a bit of a struggle. I did teach some classes and did some freelance work, but nothing permanent. Though I was able to survive, including with the help of friends.

I lost my innocence, and from being a stupid boy to a stupid man that I have become. I moved out of my only home, learned to survive alone, cooked alone, and ate alone. Loneliness was my buddy. It was not necessarily a bad thing, but I realized that not everyone can cope with it. It takes a great amount of mental capacity to play a game with it. Do not ask me if I have won – I do not know, for the game is still going on.

It does all sound bad, eh? Not at all. I completed my degree. I helped a few others complete theirs too. Even last year I got a job, a real job, and it’s evolving. I like what I do. In the coming years, I might even do more, and I am counting on it.

The biggest achievement of my last decade is that I created a science blog and started local astronomy classes for kids. Written more than 300k words and published a few ebooks. I am not quite there yet. In the last year, the number of words that I have written has reduced. This year, I shall do better. I am planning on writing an introduction to astronomy series for kids – I hope that happens.

Astronomy has brought me very good dear friends from places I could not have imagined. I am very happy about it. In my world of solitude, their words helped me move on, and I am grateful for that.

So why am I writing all this? That is the resolution – to write about something every day. So, I have 365 stories to tell in the coming days! Some of them might be interesting, some of them might be me ranting about something else – Let us hope it doesn’t come to that.

The most important thing that I wanted to do is this. Ever since I returned from Bahrain (that’s another story to tell later), I wanted to help improve the education of the poor kids. That science blog is just a small part of that. I wanted to help financially, but I, myself, was poor, you see. So, I thought maybe, when I get a job, I shall spend some money on the kids, and last month I did that. It brought me happiness. I am planning on doing that more often.

That is the stroke of midnight. I am not a man with a great plan, but what you can, that you do, is a good principle. I think I will follow it until I find a better one.