Memoir

When the Road Ahead is Found Behind

Why the courage to retrace can redefine progress

It was one of those carefree summer holidays. My cousin and I would rent bicycles after breakfast and set out with no map, no plan, only a promise to return before sunset. The forests of Dakshina Kannada welcomed us with winding mud roads, small wooden bridges, and the quiet thrill of discovery. He would pick a turn, and I would follow, confident that in any direction a relative’s house awaited us with food and rest.

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The Weight of What We Hold

We often find ourselves holding on tightest to the very things that are slipping away. Perhaps it is because, in their resistance, they show us our deepest longings. They seem to promise permanence in a world where everything is passing. A role we once grew into but now no longer fits. A bond whose warmth has faded but whose memory we cannot release. A dream that once shone bright but now feels heavy. We cling harder even as life whispers that it may be time to let go.

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Quiet Architects of Our Lives

On this day, as we celebrate the birth anniversary of Sir M. Visvesvaraya, I find myself reflecting not on the grandeur of his public works alone, but on the quiet ways his life has shaped mine. Some of these lessons I sought deliberately. Others arrived unannounced, taking root in me through family influences, teachers, mentors, and choices that carried his echo.

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