distorted reflectionsSunday, June 10, 2007

Last night, talking to an old friend, the topic of a girl who I know of comes up. Long time ago, this girl ran away from her US home to run to Pakistan without telling her parents and marry her online boyfriend. Had a kid, got divorced went back. Came to Pakistan again, slept with half the town, went back to US. And few weeks ago, she got married the second time. She is 23 years old. Then I found out my friend who I was talking to last night is friends with her. I was disgusted, I believe the company you keep greatly influences the person you turn into.

This is where he tells me to stop. Looks at me. And then tells me how he knows her just as well as he knows me. And then he says, "To tell you the truth Kiran, you're not very different from her as a person".

This was when I realized it's not your sense of humor that makes you different from other people, it's not your personality. Not your likes, dislikes. Not your clothes, your car, or your career. What makes your life different from other peoples' are the choices you make. The paths you decide to go down to, and the paths you decide to abandon.

And so, what sets me apart from that girl is the fact that I have made different choices. And I am glad I have had enough sense talked into me by the people around me that I have the strength to be able to abandon the tempting, yet wrong paths. So even though we may look alike, talk alike, have a similar sense of humor - we're not similar.. not even close.