Never the same.......

There are few things in life, that once experienced, never let's the person be the same again. I recently had two such experiences. One was the visit to the Europe, the history and beauty of the place changes one's outlook towards life.

The other is Ayn Rand. I had read the Fountainhead some time back and felt very rejuvenated and recharged. Before the feeling could wane, I picked up Atlas Shrugged, but repeated attempts to read the book, just left me depressed and defeated. It’s more than a year now, and purely for want of anything else to read, I started (again) to read Atlas Shrugged. Once I had crossed 100 pages, I knew this time I wouldn’t put the book down till I finished. It has been a superb experience just reading a book and living with the characters for the last one week. Like any other book, I'm sad its going to end, despite 1000+ pages I still feel, I have not had enough of it. I also know that had the story continued, it would not have been as interesting, but nevertheless it still makes me want to read on and on. This, I think, truly reflects the brilliance of the author, making the reader want for more. I don’t think I can ever imagine the characters in the book to be fictional; they have become part of my life.

But having said this, I feel it depends on how much value one attaches to these experiences. Going to Europe may not be a big deal for some people or for that matter spending week to 10 days reading a book may sound criminal to some people. These things are important to me; I cherish these experiences. Somewhere deep down there is also a feeling of pride and achievement ;)