Four years ago, sheer boredom and an abundance of free internet bandwidth drove me start a blog. In a rather atypical deviation from my usual supercilious wise-cracking, I started a honest and intensely personal journal with this post:
The Short and Simple Annals of the Poor
Inside every man burns the primeval urge to reach out and communicate to his peers... To be heard... To be understood... To be remembered... And inside the very same men lie ensconced fear and hesitation about their fellowmen's opinion and acceptance. Blogging helps circumvent this tangle. So, in these pages, I shall elaborate my musings, diatribes, romances, phobias you name it under the cosy cover of anonymity.
Abe Lincoln once summarized his childhood in Thomas Gray's words - "The Short and Simple Annals of the Poor...". Strange how our seemingly simple lives take so many turns, take us through numerous ups and downs, and leave each of us with innumerable tales to tell. This blog shall be one filled with such simple tales - ... of my life .... of the wonderful people I have been priviledged to meet along the way... of books, movies, birds, stars, love & dreams!
And for those who chanced to stumble upon this little nook in Cyberdom, this I promise you - what I write shall turn out be boring... or laborious...or funny... or plain crazy.... but it shall all be true and heartfelt.
Four years - a mere speck in a lifetime. But these four years have stretched over B-Schooling, internships, marketing - finance - marketing again and a whole bunch of travel - Mumbai, Bangalore, New York, Montreal and more. Heck, four years is longer than my longest relationship :)
I don't think I have done justice to this space and its now fast disappearing readership. But one fact I take pride in is what I swore to do in my very first post - to write only when the heart demands truthful expression. As I read through these last few years of my life, I can't recognize anything that I didn't strongly identify with.
Atticus has become an alternate identity - though those looking for a Gregory Peck look-alike barely manage to hide their disappointment when they meet me in person. Now, with 130+ posts under my belt, I think it is time to pick a few personal favorites... There are some about my grandpa, mom and aunt which are special for very different reasons. But among the other, these are the ones I like the most...
1.
Avuncular Expatiations (or) Old Uncle AtticusEasily my favorite... A day after I posted, a girl from Bangalore mailed in to check if I was really 6-ft-10 (I had made a typo)! Three and a half years later, I am married to her :) Dhanya, my neice, is way taller now... But she remains as adorable as ever.
2.
The Peregrine's ProgressAs I read this post now, I can vividly recollect every image that flashed through my mind that day. At times, we can sense those watershed points in life - where the direction, scale and nature of things would never be the same again!
3.
The Many Loves of Atticus - Vol I of CCXXIWhat can I say about first love...?
4.
Strangers in the NightI've let go of a lot of friends. But this one would have really hurt! Thankfully, we survived this and now have taken our frequent shouting matches to a Trans-Atlantic tele-forum!
5.
All My Bags are Packed...Good-byes suck! Montreal and I wait eagerly for Her Grace to move in this fall!
6.
Riding With The King... and
Taxi Number 2-3-5-4These two are dedicated to India's taxi and auto drivers from whom I learnt valuable lessons in life!
7.
From Small-Town Boy to Small-Town BoyWhat I was, what I am and perhaps, what I'll always remain!
Alright then, enough of narcissistic reverie for the birthday blog... To anyone who has taken the time to read this space in the last four years and the numerous blog-acquanitances who have become good friends now, many thanks!
Love and Peace,
Atticus Finch
