2020- The dream is over!
“Yusuf: Brain function in the dream will be about twenty times to normal. When you enter a dream within that dream, the effect is compounded: it’s three dreams, that’s ten hours times twen…
Eames: I’m sorry, uh, maths was never my strong subject. How much time is that?
Cobb: It’s a week the first level down. Six months the second level down, and… the third level…
Ariadne: …is ten years! Who would wanna be stuck in a dream for ten years?
Yusuf: Depends on the dream.”
The above sequence from the movie Inception was playing in my mind when I sat down to write today. Its 29th December 2020 and I seem to be waking up from a dream. Although I cannot be sure of the level of the dream right now, it sure seems to be a long way down. The last time I felt being awake was in March. I wonder how dreams can seem incomplete, with missing pieces of information and I realize that it is my memory which has only captured what is necessary, leaving me with nothing but to blame my dream!
As I started recollecting my memory, I realized that this has been a year of firsts for me on many fronts. This year I was able to publish my first full on public health in the open domain, with a total of 6 articles published throughout the year. The articles had a combined viewership of over 20,000.
I launched my personal portfolio website- Suraj Nair- A Gypsy Storyteller, a space to document all my personal work and hobbies including technical writings, science stories, photography among others.
I was able to launch my first podcast series called- ‘The Researcher’s Story’ through which I intend to connect the upcoming graduates in the science community with the researchers and entrepreneurs working in the different laboratories of India. Since the launch in late September, 4 episodes had been completed and published.
On a personal front, I started living in Kerala for the first time in my life and the experience has been peaceful until now. I also bought my first motorcycle which I rode down to Kerala! For the first time in my life, I decided to stop the consumption of non-vegetarian food in order to see the effect on my health.
The year has been challenging on an emotional front for most of us. These times helped me realize for the first time, the dwindling nature of my emotions. I also realized the importance of having strong supporting relations in such difficult times. This was also the time to realize my own strengths, to realize what makes me unique!
Today, as I finally now seemed to be waking up from the dream, rubbing my eyes, weary and tired, reality seemed blurred. I went up to my mom, fell into her laps and remembered the kick from inception:
Cobb: You are waiting for a train.. a train that will take you far, far away.. you know where you hope this train will take you, but you can’t know for sure.. yet it doesn’t matter.. now tell me why!
Mal: Because we’ll be together!
Originally published at https://www.surajnair.in on December 29, 2020.