A year ago, at the dawn of 2009, most of the bloggers I was following had put up a retrospective on the impressions left on their lives by the year that was passing by. At the time, this humble blog was just born from the ashes of a less publicised earlier one that had carried my short stories for a handful of people to read. I did not think it made any sense to post a retrospective, at the time.

Now, though, I have quite a number of tales to tell, apart from those I have been narrating from time to time. 2009, though it has been kind for the most part, had a variety of dishes to offer. Quite contrary to the previous years, I have been shaken to the foundations in many facets of my life. Though I survived intact, for better or worse, the terrain it took me through, being unnaturally rough, caught me quite by surprise. Where I was and where I am now are Poles apart, and whence I am headed appears a Lifetime away!

Unfortunately, a listing down of the milestones in my journey would not only be an absolute waste of a blog, apart from being a dry read, it would also take me once more through chapters on which I would like to close the doors forever. And yet, I know they would still remain with me like marks left on the wall by paintings long removed. I believe that’s how it should be.

To be fair to Destiny, at every juncture that I found myself in, totally lost in the mist, there has always been someone, or something, ahead, holding doors open for me. There was not even one instance when I found myself alone and helpless. Almost. All I had to do was look around.

A few years ago, if you called me a pessimist, I would have resisted like a wild cat. Today, I do not mind admitting that I do have a streak of pessimism in me – quite a big, thick, red streak. The pessimistic side claims that the year was bad and tries to project the lows, whilst the feeble optimist in me still maintains that the year could have been worse and that it had always offered me sugar with the salt.

Today, at the dusk of an eventful and challenging year, I find my heart sputtering like a motorcycle about to run cross-country, ready for challenges, impatient to tackle the dusty roads before me; without any clue as to which one to choose, yet eager to plunge into the unknown.

Happy New Year!