Riddhika Chakrabarti
Taylor Swift once wrote “How can I know everything at 18 and nothing at 22” and that has always
felt like home to me and many other people out there. I have come to realize that teenage
is not the most confusing and overwhelming stage in your life but your 20’s
are. I am almost 23, and I have never been so lost even when I am doing all the
things I dreamt of doing when I was a frolicking teenager who thought the world
was made of candies and strawberries. Actually, now that I think about it,
younger me was much better at romanticizing and manifesting things than I am
now. However, the question still stands, despite all the chaos, confusion and
lessons that life is teaching us, how do we continue
to romanticize life? Another question
is why do we need to romanticize life? Why can’t we just survive and go
by without trying to look at it positively? I am realizing that I might have
posed too many questions right from the start but I promise, it will unfold.
Perhaps the
reason why we try so hard to romanticize life is because deep down, life is so mundane on its own that none of
it really makes any sense. Maybe it’s not about pretending that everything is beautiful and
breathtaking but more about choosing to see the small beautiful things on a
very confusing day. Like just the cup of coffee that just hits the spot or the
sunshine breaking in through your windows giving you the perfect amount of
warmth. These things do not fix much but they make us feel more present and
more alive. I never romanticized life from this aspect when I was a teen but
only discovered the joy in it in my 20’s.
I understand
that sometimes even that seems like too much work. I mean, what's the point?
Why embellish a mundane existence? Perhaps, though,
it's not about
the costume. Perhaps it has to do with soft survival.
about avoiding becoming frigid by the harsh realities of maturity.
Romanticizing life is a silent resistance, not an illusion. A means of
preserving sensitivity.
Therefore, it
is not necessary for us to romanticize everything. However, when we do, it can be our way of expressing that "I'm
still choosing to care." And to be honest, that might be sufficient.
Pic Courtesy: Riddhika Chakrabarti
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