I'm going to be 18.

It has been an eventful 17 years and 360 days. The enlightening ramble with my sister, my fondness for making lists and a psychotic boredom at 2 in the morning made me encounter five problems with the Indian scenario.

1. The Education system.

2. The Marriage system.

3. The Political system.

4. Deepika Padukone.

And then I realized, its easy to say the system is faulty. "The system is faulty." See? Easy. And when you're in a pickle, nothing rescues you better. Allow me to demonstrate.

Why the bad grades?

Because of the system.

Why the stolen kidneys?

Because of the system.

Why the bad roads?

The system.

Why haven't you walked your dog?

THE SYSTEM, dammit!

But after all these years of not-so-much slogging and a pretty much dead-on-arrival everyday life I decided, I'm not blaming the system. It is a hundred percent bull - but I am not blaming it. And I'm not apologetic about my continuous state of bewilderment or indecisiveness either. I've done okay. And I am okay with how I've done. Not so much confusion there, right?

Then I came across the society's way of dealing with loss - blaming the universal powers.

What is meant to happen, will.

This wasn't meant to be.

Your fate is already written. You can't control it.

Maybe something better is in store for you.

Now you can actually fulfil your purpose on this universe.

Everything happens for your own good.

Not so much.

Seriously, I appreciate your concern and urge to stop me from getting into drugs or the equivalent. But the truth is, don't pull in the poor mystical beings just to make me feel better. I just can't do math. It's not the end of  the world. Right? And I might end up having refrigerator box for a home under the ground, someday. But that's perfectly acceptable. Right? No? Okay.

Which brings me to wonder this. Is money really evidence for how much of a life you have? Or how successful you have been through the course of it?
I'm not going to say "It's just a piece of paper." Because, well, it's not. I would like a nice big convertible on the front porch of my super-huge mansion. And a nice pair of Jimmy Choo would make me feel fancy. But I really don't think that would get me warm inside.What would?
1. A hug from someone I truly love.
2. The peace to appreciate a blooming flower in the morning.
3. Possibly gas from eating too many burritos.

I truly think there is too much of a hue and cry over how much money you end up accumulating and it's not like they'll even put it on your epitaph. I may or may not be extremely rich after twenty years. But I am willing to wait and find out.

Meanwhile, 

I've been told, life is a game. 

Life is a roller coaster ride.

Life is a box of chocolates.

Life is a gamble.

Life is a road.

Life is a stage.
Life is a b*tch.

Life is a maze.

Life is an adventure.

And according to wikipedia, life is

The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

Insightful.

I think, life is what you make it. The decisions you take. The choices you make. The people you choose to love. The ones you decide to let go. I'm not saying it's okay to lose. I'm saying, it's not a competition. Some may say life is a rat race. But I don't want to be a rat. I just want to be happy. A happy not-so-little girl.

I will live. I will love. I will give. I will learn. And I won't have anyone to blame.

I probably won't be on a Forbes list of anything important. But that doesn't decide who I am not. People may not identify me. But I will still have an identity.

And I will be who I choose to be. Not the society's idea of me. I may not be perfect, but I know, I'm still me. And that just about makes me worth it.