Aananda

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavour is the much-awaited sequel to Hank Green’s first novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. The story picks off right where AART ended, but unlike the first book where our protagonist April May was our only narrator; we have five POV's in the sequel. This is a very subtle but effective way to beautifully incorporate the core message of the novel into its structure. The core message of this story is that  the most important thing that we can do with our power is to almost always give it away . And letting people tell their story in their own words is reflective of that ideology. With an unpredictable but bittersweet ending, Hank Green takes us on a journey in understanding our best and worst instincts. I'm reminded that we humans are radically collaborative, profoundly empathetic, and deeply communal.  I came out of this book hopeful and deeply respectful of my own human existence and that of others; along with a deeper understanding of the natur...

I once walked past two frogs that lie; Dead and dry and dirty at night; And I looked past and turned my eye; Like all who ever crossed that sight. The next day I wandered again; But only one of two remained. Left unattended, it still lingered; While the other one got wiped away. Our gates shuddered as a woman cried; Begging for alms, more for her child. And I looked past and turned my eye; like all who ever crossed that sight. And I’ve seen barefoot kids on streets; With their misery on their sleeves. Offering toys and tales unsung; As I continued to stare up front. ‘It’s all an act, you can’t fall for the trick’ But the act itself is the suffering. We ignore the evident pleas and cries, But praise those with a benevolent eye. I wish to never be that person again; Never to turn my eye and pretend; Like you were just another animal dry; Left unattended under the sky. -To Naomi

now i’m a curious stranger  enchanted by your softness. Let me be a tourist in an unknown store; i’ll be patient in your vastness.   my fingertips glide across volumes. tell me, which one do I choose? I have forever in your world, but find me a beginning worth my muse.   my footsteps echo in this world left empty and ancient. but i’d read you cover to cover; Shaking brown dust off brown titles and ordered pages.   my yellow tulips grow in your grounded brown. like belle in castle; with you, I’d like to find my way  out of this provincial town.

To all those who have helped me, and through that, taught me how to help others. An important tool that I have been trying to learn recently, is the ability to ask for help. I’ll have to admit, there has been quite an intolerable level of feminism fueled independence in me, and I’ve often seen it as a personal failure to 'ask' for help. But I think I’ve lived through that mindset long enough to realize that I am wrong in so many ways. I guess this 'intolerable independence' is the result of our self-help culture, that has vehemently preached that 'the answer lies within us'. And although it is true that the answer does lie within us; I realize asking for help doesn’t really negate that sentence. It only helps you reduce the burden of negative cognitions. And by the end of it all, answers are something that we have to find for ourselves anyway. That being said, receiving good help isn’t easy. A lot us do not know how to respond when someone asks for help, and re...

Parents aren't given the choice on how their kids end up being like. I mean, yes, their choice of mate affects the other set of DNA that influences their baby’s health and personality. But other than that, parents don’t really have a ‘choice’.   But, if given a choice, parents would choose so much. First off, they would definitely choose their kids out of Autism or ADHD. Although we do call them ‘specially abled’, If given a choice parents would rather their kids not have these ‘special abilities’ since it makes life difficult for their child. I might sound politically incorrect, but that’s just how it is.   If given a choice, they’d want their kid to be healthier and less prone to diseases. In the same way, if given a choice, they’d want their kids to be born intelligent, with good memory, with artistic traits, be good at math and linguistics … I mean, nurture can only take them a certain distance, right? Well, what if parents can actually make that choice? What if parent...

While growing up, we all had that one artist we worshiped like they’re our One True God. Actors, musicians, writers, animators; we see them as larger than life itself. For many of us, art is the only form of therapy we know; the only thing that made us feel seen. But this idolization has unintentionally made the definition of art exclusive. And our view of art and artists has grown narrower and narrower. I recently heard Will Smith say ‘Parenting is more Art than Science’. This line is fascinating as it beautifully deters from what art is usually connoted to.  It serves as a reminder  that life itself is more art than science,  and there is creative energy in   every move we make. We often lose sight of this; suffocated by thousands of books telling us how life should be lived; and education that numbs the childlike wonder that we should foster in every single aspect of our life.  From the food we cook and the way we want our breakfast b...