iTraverse | #Julley: Learning from each other (Part 1 of 4)

[FYI :: Julley = Hello in Ladakhi | This blog entry is in 4 parts]


And I’m back from one of the most beautiful experiences of my life - a two week holiday in Ladakh!

I didn’t know what I was getting into signing up for this trip to Leh. I’d been to Leh last year, loved it and yet for some reason had felt the urge to go back there again. The opportunity presented itself in the form of JwM. I knew I needed a break. This was a good 15 days. A long one in a long time!

But I was apprehensive. I was going to join a group of 10 unknown people. Looking back I’m glad I took that plunge. What’s stood out for me from the past two weeks is the “quality” of the interactions I’ve had.

I say quality because somewhere down the road pointless, banal conversations were beginning to become a fad in my routine mundane life. There had to be more to everyday existence, I would hear myself say not too audibly though.
Not every relationship had to be transactional in nature – measure for measure, cautious giving and expectant receiving, like a book of records.
But as sad as it may sound, even everyday pleasantries such as a simple, ‘Hi! How have you been?’ were suffering the same fate. And it was what I’d witness rather frequently.

I wanted out.

And I’m pretty sure I got what I wanted.

Along with me were these 10 other soul-searching enthusiasts. The first few days went into conversations around what each one of us was currently doing - studying, working, freelancing, volunteering or even quit jobs to figure out the larger scheme of things.

10 may be a small number, but it was the range of thoughts, ideas and perspectives that was potent.

Moving from what each was currently doing to what we want to see ourselves doing only added another dash of colour to these exchanges.

We came from different backgrounds – geographically, academically/professionally; our life experiences so far had been unique to us, and us alone. Yet amidst that we resonated with each other.

We’d each flirted with a similar set of challenges, posed existential questions to ourselves and a select few around us. We couldn’t stop, nor were we interested in stopping.

Why do we do what we do?
Why don’t we stop even when we’ve seen and known of the consequences?
How can we stop?
Where can one start?
How can on make that difference?
Whose is the ownership?
Whose is the responsibility?
What’s the cure for inertia?
Why the need for validation even when the act in itself is self-destructive?

As we listened to each voice their dilemmas, concerns and suggest possible ways forward, there was an all pervading sense of reassurance - we weren’t alone. That there were other brave hearts around who’d tread similar un-treaded paths only to discover solutions the mainstream majority with its mighty blinkers on had failed to notice.  

Our hunger for solutions has only been further nourished, armed with the quest to know more and learn more.

And we not only learnt from each other but also about each other…so much so that we realized that none of us were christened in accordance with our characters.
So now we’re now a crazy bunch of 10 with aliases!
We learnt how one is allergic to elaichi, others to chocolate and that peas makes someone else grumpy!

(Continued...)

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