Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself dozing off on the familiar comfort of my couch. Last night was no exception; I struggled to slip into a deep slumber, my mind drifting through a series of dreams that seemed to gravitate towards my university days.
It’s astonishing to realize that nearly a decade has passed since I bid farewell to those hallowed halls. As I reflect on the people I met, the books I devoured, the films that left a mark, and the activities I enthusiastically partook in, I can’t help but acknowledge how they have intricately molded the very essence of who I am today.
At the tender age of 21, I emerged from college as a fresh-faced graduate, brimming with grand aspirations and dreams, but with no clear roadmap ahead. Fast forward nine years, and though the path remains somewhat hazy, it is gradually revealing itself. My introduction to the world of programming came relatively late and was far from pleasant. The assistant professor who led the course on “Problem Solving and Computer Programming” had a penchant for scribbling cryptic code on the whiteboard, sparing no time for explanations. The transition to analytical thinking was a rocky one for me, and I barely managed to scrape through, thanks in no small part to my steadfast friends.
During my sophomore year, I teetered on the brink of abandoning my programming ambitions, particularly after wrestling with the enigmatic realm of “Data Structures and Algorithms.” Then, a pivotal encounter altered my course. His name was Ritesh—a senior student whose academic grades might have pegged him as average, but who unwittingly sparked a competitive revolution at our college. Ritesh delved headfirst into competitive programming on platforms like CodeChef and swiftly ascended the ranks to become one of India’s top 10-20 contenders. His journey was nothing short of inspiring, and it motivated me to give programming another shot.
I registered for an online competition that spanned ten grueling days, and when I glimpsed at the problem sets, I was momentarily overwhelmed. They were exceedingly challenging, and I couldn’t even crack a single one, while Ritesh had already conquered six. I plucked up the courage to message him, posing what must have seemed like elementary questions, and he responded with unwavering patience. One day, I ventured into his dorm room and sat beside him, silently observing as he meticulously solved a problem from start to finish. The room was permeated with the scent of cigarettes, which I once despised, but the sheer passion and delight he exuded while translating his thoughts and ideas into code eclipsed any discomfort. In that pivotal moment, programming ceased to be a burdensome task and metamorphosed into an exhilarating journey that continues to this day.
My love affair with movies traces back to my childhood. Growing up in rural South India, cricket and movies monopolized our leisure hours. While most people watched for amusement, I viewed them as windows into the intricacies of human behavior—both virtuous and flawed. I harbored an innate curiosity about why people acted the way they did, and the people around me struggled to provide satisfactory answers. Unbeknownst to me, the fields of psychology and behavioral economics were well-established disciplines. I immersed myself in books and stories, weaving intricate tapestries of interconnected narratives within my mind. Over time, I experienced countless “aha” moments. Some dismissed it as mere daydreaming, and I concurred until one day when I unearthed profound insights that I felt compelled to share with the world, though my shyness often held me back.
One fortuitous day, I stumbled upon a video titled “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor who faced a terminal cancer diagnosis with unparalleled resilience. Instead of succumbing to self-pity, he embraced the opportunity to deliver a final lecture about his life journey and the dreams he thought he could never fulfill. Watching that mesmerizing 90-minute lecture transformed my perspective. Randy was a master storyteller, and his ability to transcend boundaries resonated deeply with me. If he could be one, so could I. I realized that specialization was a notion for the narrow-minded, and we, as humans, flourish when we follow our curiosity, regardless of the outcome, in any field or discipline. If you have a question, seek an answer; if you possess an opinion, amplify it through any medium that resonates with you—whether it’s through blogging, tweeting, or filmmaking. People may come and go, but ideas and memories endure eternally.
As I near the end of this reflection, I’d like to share a thought experiment that has occupied my mind for some time. Wouldn’t it be a remarkable endeavor to embark on a journey around the world, engaging in conversations with individuals with whom I’ve shared memories over the past decade? Recording these conversations, polishing them, and sharing them through a podcast could offer a unique window into the diverse paths life has taken us all on. I wonder how their lives have unfolded and what stories they have to tell. It’s a tantalizing prospect that fuels my curiosity and ignites my passion for storytelling, reminding me that the connections we forge and the stories we weave are what make our lives truly extraordinary.