Lost in an Urban Jungle

As kids, we were raised to speak the truth, give our 100% to everything we do, read a lot, study, and always display integrity at all levels while displaying kindness to others. Unfortunately, many seem to forget some lessons along the way.

There was this little girl who always loved reading books. She spent her time imagining new creations for her cute dolls, and sometimes stitching the creations, though not so perfectly. She excelled in her studies but was never a sports enthusiast. The only sport she may have enjoyed was playing badminton with some kind grown-ups. Because volleyball by the beach meant being bullied by older kids, and that was terrifying for her. Yet, she found solace burying her nose in books where popular children’s authors unfolded a whole new world to her. This world was about kind people, cute animals, picnics by the seashore, and friends for life.

She grew up embodying the characters – being kind to others, kindness towards animals, and being absolutely truthful about things.

She made a few mistakes. Maybe, trusting people too easily, being open about her life, and of course, making her own choices. Were these mistakes, honestly? Well, that’s what people told her.

People always have had an opinion. They always dictated what was wrong, what was right. What she should wear, whom she should meet. They had a wonderful opinion about things. She was always made to feel that she was wrong for being different. She was wrong for choosing a career path that was not in demand as compared to being a medical professional or an IT professional. She was told she wouldn’t get a “good guy” as she was getting “too tall” for her age. And, yes, she was skinny shamed. So, her growing up years were filled with voices around her that made her wonder about people and why they behave the way they do.

Did that deter her? No! She plowed ahead, to follow her dreams. While many of her age were following the traditional norms as dictated by our society, she yearned to carve a niche for herself. She left her small cozy space of greens to move into an urban jungle. She traveled, worked crazy shifts, constantly upgraded her skills, while trying new things without fear. Oh, yes, she felt the fear while returning home everyday post 1:00 a.m. entirely alone after finishing her work, but her alertness was always high.

Your inner voice might hurt you more than what people say

She stumbled, made a couple of mistakes, and almost lost herself. While she was caught in a whirlpool of emotions, people always poked fun. She started feeling a fear that she was not right where she was supposed to be. “Look at everyone, they are having such a good time,” she thought. “Their lives looked perfect.” “Am I a failure?”

She slumped into self-doubt while isolating herself. But, during her isolation she discovered peace. She read books, studied on her own, did everything to better her thinking. She felt herself being liberated somewhere.

I don’t know how the shy kid who spent more time with animals than humans turned out to be outgoing and party-loving, but, perhaps moving in the urban jungle did that to her. She was unapologetically herself.

Yes, she was lost in the urban jungle. Yes, this is where she found herself back again.

This time with improved self-confidence without any scope for doubts. She always followed her own path, and this time, she knew that even if her direction was not in line with what others were doing, it was perfect for her.

This shy kid turned out to be me.

The only thing I would like to say here is –

Don’t be quick to point fingers at others – delve deeper to understand yourself first.
If someone is taking time to recover from personal stress, don’t tell a person to cheer up. It doesn’t work that way.
Be non-judgmental, because sometimes, you just need a person to listen to.
Everyone has a different story. Just because it is different from what others are doing, don’t insist it is wrong.
Most importantly, be kind. Because kindness can never go out of fashion.

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